


EGO-typical Valentine's Day

by Tabbynerdicat



Series: EGO-typical [1]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Chocolate, Established Relationship, F/M, Flower Abuse, Flowers, Fluff, I wish I was joking, M/M, Making Love, Oral Sex, Pining, Porn With Plot, Romantic Angst, Unresolved Romantic Tension, apollo and hyacinthus references, but we love him, fucking in a tree, gay demons - Freeform, google is an ass, no happy ending, robots with emotions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-02-22
Packaged: 2019-10-29 15:14:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17810399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tabbynerdicat/pseuds/Tabbynerdicat
Summary: It's Valentine's Day in the Void, and the egos just want to spend a nice day with their significant others. But the storm outside is growing relentless, calling out for a love that might never return- will Dark's anguish ruin the holiday once and for all?Chapter 1: Wilford x Jameson (fluff)Chapter 2: Dr. Iplier x Dr. Schneeplestein (fluff/smut)Chapter 3: Host x Robbie, Chase x Bing (fluff)Chapter 4: Marvin x Yandereplier (fluff/smut)Chapter 5: Dark x Anti (angst)Cross posted from Wattpad, prequel to the EGO-typical series but can be read separately ;)





	1. Wilford x Jameson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilford brings his lover flowers as he contemplates his romantic history, and realises that Jameson makes him happier than anyone else.

Wilford whistled the tune of some sappy love song under his breath as he sauntered down the stairs, a large bouquet of assorted pink flowers held behind his back. It had been so many years since he'd even touched a flower- these days his romantic adventures were hardly so sentimental, and he simply had no desire for gardening. But Jameson was a man of class- straight out of the 19th century, with dreams and desires that so closely matched Wilford's own- and Wilford knew he'd appreciate being given something traditional for Valentine's Day.

The last bouquet he'd made had been given to Dark, back when they were still... well, as close to lovers as they'd ever been, he supposed. He'd thought it was a sweet romantic gesture- two dozen brilliant red roses wrapped in white, but the demon had acted rather... strange, about it. He'd accepted them, of course- Wilford supposed he'd consider it improper to ignore the gift, but he hadn't looked very happy about receiving it in the first place.

It was... heartbreaking, in a sense. Wilford guessed he should have been thankful he didn't have much heart left for Dark to break at that point, having given it to Celine all those years ago... Celine had always appreciated it when he'd brought her gifts- though she'd despised roses, of course, thinking them far too cliche and thoughtless, but... well, Dark had seemed like the cliche romance type.

Apparently, Wilford had been wrong about that.

But Jameson- he  _loved_  flowers. He could go on about them for hours- about their language, their colours, their sweet scents- he wouldn't have brushed aside any gift, no matter how cliche and overused it seemed. He was a peculiar man. He appreciated the good in everything- whether it was flowers, or people, or... even Wilford himself. Wilford had never met a man who was comfortable with him the way he was, but Jameson... he didn't ask Wilford to change a thing.

Not about how he dressed, not about how he spoke- he didn't even seem to have a problem with Will on those lonely nights where all he could think of was Celine, when he dragged himself to another's room and tried to sleep away the pain of losing her... he'd never tell, but he couldn't use Jameson this way, even if he wanted to. Jameson was nothing like her.

If he was, Wilford was certain he couldn't call what they shared love at all.

But he was confident that these feelings, these emotions, the way his heart swelled at the little things that Jameson did, inside the bedroom and out... they had to mean something, right?

Perhaps he was being too daring to call it love just yet. Nevertheless- today was special. He'd been so lonely these past years, crying himself to sleep just thinking of how he could have been spending this time with Celine if he hadn't lost her so long ago... but today, he seemed so happy that he felt his heart might burst. Today, for the first time since his junior years, he had a Valentine.

Celine had never been one for romance- she didn't like to go out on dates, she didn't like romantic gifts, she didn't even like to celebrate anniversaries. Wilford wondered how she'd agreed to marry his cousin at all- what on Earth had she seen in him? He was shallow like nothing else- conceited, narcissistic, rich enough to flaunt his money... Wilford was willing to bet that he'd offered her presents with heftier price tags than he could ever manage to afford.

But Wilford couldn't deny that he loved to  _love_. He'd always enjoyed Valentine's Day, he'd always appreciated a good romance film, he'd once been with a girl in school that had adored his grand romantic gestures- oh, what a shame that hadn't turned out. She'd moved away to New York when Will had enlisted in the army, and he'd never seen her again. But the way she'd danced, how she'd smiled, how she'd told him she loved him...

Jameson was just the same.

"Jameson!" Wilford hollered excitedly down the hall, strolling out into the kitchen without a care that it was the morning. The others would be waking soon anyway, surely- most of them had a special someone to spend the day with, after all. Wilford knew for a fact that the doctors were together- he'd actually been with Dr. Iplier for a small while before they'd started dating, just on a no-strings-attached basis. He'd been the first to know when they'd gotten together, because Doc had come to shut down their little adventures immediately... it had been nice while it was happening, but Wilford wouldn't miss it.

The two still hadn't told anyone else about it yet- it was strange. After all, it had been over a year since they'd gotten together, and this was their second Valentine's Day as a couple- how long would it take for them to finally come out about it? It wasn't as if the others couldn't see it, after all. The other egos all joked about it behind their backs, but... maybe they already knew that.

Then, of course, there were Yan and Marvin- oh, and Wilford could definitely see what had made that green-haired scamp so attractive to the yandere. With his spitfire attitude, and his uncanny talent for transcending reality- not to mention that body. It was no wonder they'd gotten together almost immediately upon Marvin's arrival. If Yan hadn't jumped at the first opportunity to snatch him up, Wilford would likely have tried to pursue him. Something, despite his bright clothes and his wild hair,  _something_  about him reminded him of the woman he loved.

But he was an honest man, really- he'd not consider taking the chap from Yan if Marvin didn't want it as well, and though Wilford knew he was alluring, something told him that the magician rather liked where he was now. Last Valentine's Day the pair had spent the day watching movies in the manor's theater- modern romantic comedies Wilford had never heard of, but the two had seemed to enjoy it enough at the time.

Today, however, Wilford had reserved that room for his own date. He wondered briefly what the two would be doing this time- but in the end he found he wasn't all that interested, really. He was much more excited to see Jameson, to give him his gift, to watch his eyes light up like Wilford had wished Celine's had done so many times...

Jameson was in the kitchen making hot drinks for both of them- a delicious looking pink chai that Wilford's mouth watered for, and a simple black coffee for himself. The fedora-wearing man smiled at Wilford as he entered the room, the bouquet barely hidden behind his back, meeting his eyes and beckoning him closer.

Wilford's heart fluttered nervously as he coughed to clear his throat, kneeling dramatically and bringing out his gift with a flourish. "For you,"

Jameson chuckled silently, taking the bouquet in his slim fingers and kissing Wilford sweetly on his lips, letting the older man stand and press their bodies gently against the counter as the embrace deepened. Wilford smiled happily into the kiss, warmth spreading through his veins, and he couldn't deny that this simple intimacy felt amazing. Possibly even more amazing than any of the sex he'd had in years... yes, Wilford would believe it.

Their lips parted, and Jameson broke into a cheerful grin, bringing Wilford in for a smaller, more subtle kiss. It seemed that the dapper man just couldn't get enough of him- well, Wilford certainly wasn't complaining. He chuckled as they parted again, finding Jameson staring at the bouquet with happiness shining in his eyes.

 _'Thank you,'_  he signed.  _'They're lovely,'_

"You're always welcome," Wilford grinned, a blush tinting his cheeks as he took a sip of his sweet, steaming chai. "Love the way you make these, Jamesy,"

Jameson smiled in response, still holding his flowers as he looked over each one carefully. Wilford had spent all week researching different flower meanings, putting them all together in what he hoped was a concise and heartwarming message. By the way Jameson was smiling, he'd assumed he was right in what he'd chosen.

Jameson had always loved peonies- Wilford had seen him out in the courtyard, admiring the patches that Dark left scattered around. Unfortunately, this time of year had the demon a little...  _down_. Ever since that young scamp Anti left, he was awfully upset- always distressed, always angry, never taking a moment to compose himself... Wilford worried for him. He resolved to check in on him before heading to the theater with Jameson- this was the second Valentine's Day Dark had spent without Anti by his side. Wilford didn't care to relive the first...

Not that the two were a couple- oh no, but Wilford could dream. They were so happy together, so full of life and colour like Wilford had never seen. Anti just brought that little extra...  _spark_ , to the demon. It was something Wilford couldn't quite describe, but he could see it. Heck, everyone could see it.

And now that Anti was gone... well, Wilford only saw the man that had rejected his roses. The one that had acted so cold towards him, the one that felt nothing but anger, and hatred, and pain... The one that would slaughter. The one that had killed.

The old grump...

When he was in this state, the manor seemed to fall into ruin- the plants would darken to black and wilt, hairline cracks would litter the windows, the lights seemed to get dimmer, and the manor overall became...  _colder_. Lightning storms flashed outside, making everyone on edge and miserable- Wilford had offered before to take over so that Dark could rest, but the demon never listened to him. Last year, Dark had gotten so upset that even the paper on the walls had started to peel.

There were no beautiful flowers to see outside- but Wilford had tried to make up for it with a larger assortment than was really necessary. They could stick around for days, even weeks- they didn't age like normal flowers did, they weren't truly  _alive_. Jameson could put them in vases, or- or drape them across the windowsills. Or perhaps, he'd keep them in their room so he could wake up to them every morning and remember that even if Wilford couldn't love him, he was trying to.

He was  _trying_...

 _'You remembered my favourite,'_  Jameson signed, holding up a peony with a bashful smile painted on his lips. Those flowers made up the bulk of the bunch- with a few pink roses and tulips dotted in between. Wilford rather liked the look of a peony- he could definitely understand why it was Jameson's favourite flower of the lot. He, however, found he preferred orchids.

"Of course!" Wilford exclaimed with a chortle. "How could I forget the way your eyes sparkle when you see them, hm?"

Jameson reddened even further- and Wilford could almost believe they'd just made love, what with the way the colour seeped across his cheeks and down his neck...  _later_ , he said to himself.  _Just you wait until later, love..._ every good date ended with some debauchery, didn't it?

Jameson's hands shook a little with excitement as he pinned the flower to Wilford's suspenders, adjusting it softly before stepping back and admiring his work.

 _'Now when I look at you, I can see both of my favourite things,'_ Jameson signed with a smile, lips parting in a silent giggle as Wilford let out an audible sigh.

"Oh, you're such a sweetheart," Wilford chuckled, setting his cup down and running a hand through that aqua-coloured hair he was so fond of. "You always know just what to do to make me happy, James..."

Happy... yes, he'd never been happier. Not even with Celine, but... but love and happiness were hardly the same thing. And he'd loved her- he  _knew_  he had. Maybe, one day, he could love Jameson just as much.

_One day..._

"Well, come on," Wilford urged with a smile. "Drink up- I can't wait to spend time with you, m'boy... I'll have to check on Dark first, mind you, he gets rather... irritable around this time of year,"

Jameson frowned sympathetically.  _'He lost a lover?'_

"Something like that," Wilford confirmed, giving Jameson one more quick kiss and relishing the smile that followed. "I'll be down in a moment, love,"

He almost regretted leaving the mute behind, but he knew it'd be alright- Jameson practically lived in the manor now, after all- he knew his way around. Wilford didn't expect to be long, in any case- Dark wouldn't want to speak to anyone, not even him. Today was simply too much for the demon to handle, and Wilford knew that better than most...

He knocked on the door to Dark's quarters.

"What do you want, Wilford?"

The voice was snappish and sharp, and Wilford felt a part of him shrink a little at the harsh words, but he stayed determined. He huffed in mild annoyance, wishing that Dark wouldn't get so damn  _moody_  all the time- it would make socialisation so much easier for him.

"Well, I just wanted to see how you were doing,"

"I'm doing. Just.  **Fine.** "

"People who are doing fine don't speak in truncated sentences," Wilford drawled in response, folding his arms. "Look, Dark... you know as well as I what day it is. Yet instead of going out there and pursuing the man you love,  _you're_  choosing to lock yourself away and suffer,"

"You don't  ** _know me,_** "

"No, Dark," Wilford sighed, just wishing Dark would let him in, for  _once_. "I don't know you, not as well as I'd like to. But I do know that you're not happy. Say, why don't you go and talk to the lad, just this once...?"

There was a lengthy pause. Were his words really reaching through after all this time? no, Wilford doubted it, but... well, he could hope.

"You're  **delusional** ," Dark finally uttered through the door. "It's been a  _year_ , Wilford.."

"So?" Wilford challenged. "Time is a social construct,"

"Will, that... that doesn't change the fact that it's been a long, long while and... he didn't want me then. And since... all we've been able to do is fight.  _Fight_... he doesn't want me, Wilford, you're feeding me false hope and you  **know it** ,"

"Now, now," Wilford intervened, somehow sensing that Dark was crying on the other side of the door. He'd always had a certain affinity for judging Dark's emotional state, and he couldn't quite explain it, but he'd found it very useful over the past forty years. "I'm certain he loves you just as much as-"

"You're. A.  _ **Fool**_." Dark interrupted, voice reverberating around his room, bouncing from wall to wall. " **Leave me. I will fetch you when I desire your pathetic presence...** "

Wilford heaved a troubled sigh. He hadn't really expected it to go much better, but... it still hurt, to be pushed away by a man he'd once adored. The saddest part about it was that Dark's attitude towards Wilford had never truly changed... The mustached man simply had more people to rely on now, and now, he could see the truth.

"Well, in case you change your mind," Wilford continued, summoning a lone flower and placing it on the floor outside Dark's door. "I'll start you on the right path... I'm sure he'd appreciate it if you gave him this,"

" **That will be _all_ , Wilford**," Dark dismissed again, this time with a hint of warning in his tone. Wilford decided that now would be a good time to take his leave- Dark was a strange man indeed. He didn't appreciate help, but he was always thankful when things turned out well in the end. Wilford knew Anti still loved him- it was written all over the glitch's face whenever they fought- it was in his body motions, in the way his hands always faltered before aiming to kill...

He so dearly wished for their petty little feud to come to an end. Whatever Anti had done, whatever had made them push him away like this- Wilford was certain that Dark had done worse. He missed his old pal, the eldest brother of the man he'd been courting for months, the closest friend he really had aside from Dark himself.

If all else failed, perhaps he'd pay a visit to Anti himself later on.

But he digressed. He'd done all he could do to fix Dark's broken relationship, and nothing else would happen if the demon didn't take it in his stride.

As Wilford walked away, he smiled. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that the hyacinth he'd placed on the ground was gone.

"Are you ready, m'dear?" Wilford asked, offering Jameson his hand. The mute took it, entwining their fingers with a happy little chuckle that didn't reach Wilford's ears. He nodded.


	2. Dr. Iplier x Dr. Schneeplestein

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The doctors are woken by the thunderstorm outside, but instead of just going back to sleep, they decide to get rid of the tension in a more... romantic way.

It was still a little dark when Dr. Iplier opened his eyes- but that was hardly saying anything, he knew. The lights of the house were set to come on when it was daytime- a brilliant idea that Google had when he'd arrived, but these days it was growing harder and harder to know the difference between light and dark. The manor seemed filled with constant shadows- a chilling storm brewing outside at all hours of the day, spattering rain across their windows as if it was crying out for someone it had lost.

If it was anyone's fault, it would be Dark's. Doc was no fool- he'd seen the effect that the glitch's absence was having on that demon, but... he couldn't bring himself to sympathise with him. Anti had murdered his own brothers, his  _family_ \- he'd brought this on himself, and Dark was a fool for still feeling caught up in all of it after nearly two years. What love could he still hold in that cold heart for the man who'd knowingly taken the lives of three innocents?

Three innocents, including Doc's lover...

He should have been more careful- he shouldn't have let Henrik go back home that night. Why had he? It wasn't as though they didn't often stay together- it wasn't as though there was any tension between them... But Henrik had left him with a kiss and a promise to be back tomorrow.

A promise that he'd been unable to fulfill...

Lightning whizzed past the window, and thunder clapped above, and Doc found himself clinging tightly to the other body in his bed. Despite having Henrik here now, he still felt his blood boil when he thought of what had happened all those months ago. Sure, he'd returned from his faded state within the week, and Anti was no longer a threat to him- but Doc still felt overwhelmingly guilty.

He still felt as though there was something he could have done to have prevented it. Whether he'd insisted that Henrik stay another night, or at least accompanied him home- surely there was a way that could have worked out better in the end...

Doc sighed into his lover's shoulder, arms wrapped tightly around his front, their legs entwined beneath the crinkled sheets. They'd never put their clothes back on last night- Doc hadn't seen the point in it, really- and he'd been much too exhausted to contemplate trying to pull even a pair of underwear on. Henrik had laughed at him.

Well, Doc supposed it was all well and good for  _him_.  _He_ wasn't the one that had been pounded relentlessly into the bed, after all- but Henrik had joined him without any clothes, suggesting that they should continue this in the morning. Well, Doc couldn't very well say no to that, now could he?

He didn't want to wake the other doctor too early- he still had no idea of the time, anyway, but... well, he didn't usually wake up before six in the morning, so it was probably safe to do  _something_. He settled for peppering little kisses along Henrik's shoulder, running his fingers across the pale skin of his thighs. The little huffs and snores that had been emanating from his lover's lips hitched a little, and he could feel Henrik pushing back into him, grinding unwittingly against Doc as the older man let out a low whine.

 _"Shit_..." Doc uttered quietly, feeling the blood rushing to his nether regions, breathing a sigh of relief when Henrik calmed and stilled in his arms. He still had a growing erection, still felt the smooth crevice between his lover's cheeks against his flushed skin, but as long as there were no sudden movements, he felt it should be fine. His arse still ached pleasantly from the night before, his muscles tender and sore- but it was a good kind of pain. He breathed out in dizzy satisfaction.

There was another clap of thunder.

This time, Henrik jolted at the noise, giving a little yelp of surprise as his eyes opened blearily, blinking into the darkness of the room. He groaned softly, coming to his senses, and... oh,  _my_...

"Do I turn you on vithout even being conscious?" Henrik teased sleepily, his voice a little rough as he coughed to clear his throat. He felt Doc's arms tighten around him, the laughter that followed rumbling against his lower back, the warmth of his lover's breath tickling the skin of his cheek. He could feel that his boyfriend was aroused- flush against his ass, just waiting to be touched- and pride bloomed in his chest. Even when he was asleep, he knew just what to do to make Doc squirm...

"I think you know the answer to that," Doc chuckled softly. "Did the thunder wake you?"

"Ja," Henrik sighed, bringing a hand up to rub at his eyes. "Zis is ze third time zis veek, Doc..."

It wasn't that he was afraid of thunderstorms- no, there was very little that truly terrified the doctor aside from the prospect of losing a patient, but eventually the noise alone grew loud enough to wake him from the deepest slumber. He was getting rather tired of waking up in a panic, all because Dark couldn't handle his own grief...

"I know," Doc frowned, kissing Henrik's jaw softly, taking pleasure in how he moaned softly at the contact. "I know, love... we can try to go back to sleep if you want to,"

Henrik snorted aloud, chest rumbling with groggy laughter. "Not vith zat thing poking me, not a chance..."

"I can take care of it if it's too distracting-"

"Nonsense," Henrik interceded with a sleepy little laugh. "Just give me einen moment, mein Schatz..."

Doc felt a shiver run down his spine, his skin tingling with anticipation as he let the weight of that statement sink in. His cock twitched against Henrik's skin, and he let out a small groan of pleasure, resting his head on his pillow again. 

_One moment... that's too long._

He moved his hand from where it had been snaked around Henrik's torso, feeling across the sheets for the bottle of lube they'd half-emptied the night before. His fingers curled around the plastic and he tucked it underneath his pillow so it would warm up faster- the last thing Henrik needed at this hour was cold lube in his ass, after all, and the room was rather chilled already. The only heat was the warmth being shared between their bodies, and Henrik shivered at the loss of contact, peering hazily at the spot where his lover had laid.

"Vhat are you doing?" Henrik mumbled softly, fingers entwining with Doc's left hand that was still pinned beneath him. "Vhere did you go?"

"I'm right here," Doc soothed, leaning up and over and kissing Henrik gently on the lips, withdrawing his constricted hand and shaking the pins and needles away. Henrik's kiss was slow and sweet, his lips moving softly against Doc's own as the older man let his fingers trail down, cupping the smooth skin of Henrik's arse.

       

They broke apart, and Henrik licked his lips with a lazy smirk. His eyes flickered soft blue in the dim light of the storm. "Somebody's eager..."

Doc chuckled, bringing Henrik in for a shorter kiss, just touching their lips together and enjoying the closeness. "I'm always eager to be with you, love, you know this..."

Henrik smiled, shuffling so that he was lying comfortably on his side once more, and Doc followed suit, pressing their bodies together again, the friction between their lower halves driving him borderline crazy. How could he wait another moment more? Henrik was clearly too tired to do whatever he was planning on doing, so Doc decided he'd have to take control of the situation.

 He took his own fingers into his mouth, coating them with saliva, and slowly reached down to brush them against Henrik's hole.

The German doctor hummed aloud at the attention, rocking slowly back into his lover's touch and feeling the pressure against his arse deepen, strong fingers pressing firmly around his hole. Doc didn't venture further inside, not yet- perhaps he was waiting for Henrik to awaken and direct him, or maybe he was planning something greater- but the teasing touch was driving Henrik just a little mad, bringing heat to his own crotch as he wriggled softly, trying to relieve some of the pressure.

The thunderstorm outside raged on, but neither doctor found it in themselves to care anymore. They were far too preoccupied in what they were doing, as Doc let the tips of his fingers inch their way inside, feeling Henrik throw back his head to meet Doc's collar.

"Are you alright?" Doc asked in concern, a slight laugh evident in his tone as Henrik grumbled something unintelligible under his breath.

"You are too good at vhat you do, Doc..." Henrik grunted aloud, closing his eyes as Doc pushed just a little further in. " _Gott_...  _du bist ein necken fick_..."

"Thank you," Doc smiled, kissing Henrik's shoulder again, the soft touches sending shivers down his lover's spine. "Do you want me to go further?"

"Of course..." Henrik replied with a whine, rocking back into Doc's touch. "Ach, I  _need_ it..."

Laughter bubbled in Doc's stomach as he let out a snort, running his free hand fondly over his lover's cheek. "Hold on, love, let me just..."

He uncapped the bottle of lube, spreading some of the lukewarm liquid onto his fingers and rubbing them together, making sure there was an even spread of the fluid all around. He pressed his lips to Henrik's neck once more, sliding his fingers back to where they'd been lingering, slowly pushing two digits inside. Henrik tensed around him.

"Mmh... deeper,"

"Are you sure?"

" _Fick ja_..." Henrik moaned aloud, curling his toes into the sheets as Doc buried himself to the knuckle inside his arse.

"You're so pretty from behind," Doc hummed softly, moving his fingers at a steady pace, in and out. It was slowly getting easier and easier to thrust inside- and Henrik would be stretched out in no time. Years of practice had made Doc excellent at these sorts of things, whether he was doing it to himself or to others- he'd wager he was probably as good at making men squirm as Wilford was at this point.

But unlike Wilford, he found that one lover at a time was definitely enough to keep him happy.

"I don't think I want to give up this view," he continued with a content smile, leaving tiny hickeys along the skin of Henrik's clavicle that were barely visible in the light of the room.

"Vell, if you can fuck me like zat zhen go ahead," Henrik stated, rocking back again into Doc's fingers. "Bist du still so exhausted from ze last round?"

"You, my love, are absolutely nothing to scoff at in bed," Doc sighed into Henrik's shoulder. The German doctor pouted in concern.

"Vas I too rough vith you?"

"I've had rougher," Doc responded with a small shrug. "But it was certainly breathtaking... in the best way, Hen, don't worry, I enjoyed it thoroughly."

Henrik sighed contently, a soft smile splitting his lips. "Hmm... you'd like zat, vouldn't you? Du willst mich von hinten nehmen, vhile I lie hier..."

"Hell yes I would," Doc smirked at his lover's words, the seductive quality of the dirty talking being lost in Henrik's morning rasp. But of course, that didn't make Doc want him any less. "Do you think you're stretched enough?"

"Es mir egal, Schatz," Henrik waved away his worries impatiently. "I just vant to feel you..."

Doc slowly removed his teasing fingers, reaching over to their bedside table and opening the drawer. "Plain or textured?"

"Ribbed," Henrik replied, whining a little at the loss of contact. "Und don't bother vith ze flavoured vones,"

"Right," Doc agreed, picking out a condom and tearing the packaging with his teeth- well, he couldn't very well do it with a lubed-up hand, could he? He fell onto his back, pinching the tip and rolling the protective barrier over his shaft, feeling the bumpy surface of the latex as he lathered up his cock with the remaining lube.

They always used condoms- whether they were having penetrative intercourse or not, it was just so much more sanitary- and it was easier to clean up afterwards. Sure, they'd occasionally break- and sometimes they leaked a little, but they were mostly efficient, and they didn't take away from the pleasure at all. Though the first few months of their developing relationship had been more vanilla, recently they'd really gotten into the different varieties of condoms that were available, trying out all different flavours and textures. It was likely as kinky as it was ever going to get in this room- but Doc was rather happy in his own small corner of the sexual pleasure spectrum.

Nothing would ever be more awkward than asking Bing to make them, however. Doc swore that the android's smirk and constant shifty glances his way were going to drive him insane one day...

"Here," Doc offered, handing Henrik a plain condom to wrap around his own hardening length, and the doctor murmured a quiet "Danke," in response. Doc breathed softly in and out, teasing Henrik's hole with the tip of his cock, until Henrik let out a needy groan.

"Just  _fick mich_  already, Ich muss deinen Schwanz  _spüren_..."

"Okay, okay..." Doc muttered subserviently, not really wanting to rile Henrik up more than he already was. Sometimes playing on his lack of patience in the bedroom was fun, but Doc wasn't really planning on this becoming an intense round of angry sex. He'd rather take it slow, and just enjoy the feeling, and not even have to move from his spot.

He slowly pushed himself inside.

Henrik's fists clenched in the sheets as he adjusted to the new shape and scale of Doc's sex, rocking back and pushing his lover further inside. He was no chump- he could take the whole length if he wanted to, but he eased himself a little forward, slowly thrusting his own hips in time with Doc's, only about half-filled but still loving every moment of it.

The head of the condom Doc had chosen seemed to be textured as well- spiked, it seemed, and it tingled Henrik's insides with inexpressible amounts of pleasure as it pushed against his loosened muscles. He found himself panting softly, mouth agape as his lover kissed down along his upper back, lips trailing behind his ear.

" _Ach, Ich liebe deinen Schwanz immer_..."

"Christ..." Doc gasped, feeling Henrik clench around him as the profanities rushed straight to his groin. "I always forget you're a sailor in the sheets..."

"Ich vergesse immer wie gut du mich fickst," Henrik moaned aloud, gripping the sheets as Doc slid even further inside of him, the ribbed texture of the condom pushing against his walls in odd places, filled out by the girth of Doc's shaft. 

Henrik, for one, loved the variety that condoms could bring- it was the same man giving him pleasure, the same length and thickness and heat pulsing inside of him, but every night had something different in store. Whether it was just another colour or flavour, whether it was a new surface texture or even a slightly varied shape- Henrik never knew what to expect, but he found he always loved it in the end. 

The younger doctor bit his lip to keep from moaning too loud- after all, it was simply poor etiquette to raise his voice at whatever unholy hour this was. He shared a corridor with the likes of Wilford and Dark- both of which wouldn't like to be woken up to the sounds of two egos making love, Henrik was sure. But he couldn't help the slew of half-baked sentences that ran from his lips, ranging from a low whisper to a muffled scream.

" _Fuck, zat ist heavenly..."_

"You act as though we didn't do this the day before last," Doc noted with a fond sigh, his voice trailing off with a grunt as he worked his way further into Henrik's arse. "How do you manage to stay so damn  _tight?_ "

"Es ist beyond me..." Henrik mumbled, "having you in zhere as often as you are...  _Mmh_ , _go härter_..."

"Yes sir," Doc teased, though he complied with Henrik's request without hesitation. He was quite happy with where they'd managed to end up after all these months- their first nights spent together had been fewer and further between, only really meeting up every two or three days, and only sleeping together on two of them at best. The hours had been a little awkward, spent discussing rushed preferences and giving clumsy handjobs, always remembering to use their protection and to ask for consent before making the first move.

Then, Anti had thrown a wrench in the plans... Doc didn't know if he could ever look that man in the eye again, after doing what he did. It didn't take a genius to see that Anti was troubled- Doc had known it since he'd arrived, back when there were only a handful of Ipliers to worry about, but he'd thought it was nothing to worry about. If only he could go back and convince Anti to at least go on a mental health plan, perhaps...

No, there was no use dwelling on the past. He was here now, with his boyfriend, and Henrik was rocking desperately back onto him, filling himself up with Doc's warmth as he let out those wonderful little moans and gasps of pleasure. He wasn't worried at all- so why should Doc be? This was  _their_ time, not Anti's. He let his eyes close, hips bucking and shifting along, losing himself in the wanton embrace they'd fallen into.

Yes, Doc was definitely happy with how far they'd come since those tension-filled days.

_"Ich liebe dich in mir zu fühlen,"_

"I know, love, I...  _fuck_ , I love filling you up, seeing you come apart like this..."

" _Hmmnh..._  halt, halt ze moving, just..."

Henrik slowly moved out of Doc's relaxed arms, easing himself from the embrace and hissing as the warmth of his lover's sex left his body. He suddenly felt... empty. But it was only temporary, and he rose to his knees, crawling over to sit atop Doc's thighs. His back tingled a little in pain from all the lying down, but it was only adding to the pleasant ache of his muscles as he moaned slightly, leaning forward to kiss the man that held his heart.

Doc met his lips with passion, inching backwards until he felt the headboard of their bed against his skull, trailing his fingers gently through his lover's hair as Henrik kissed down his neck. The younger doctor had his knees planted on either side of Doc's hips, rutting against him as the kissing continued- all down his neck, across his front, and then Henrik reached beneath him. He slid his fingers smoothly along the grooved surface of Doc's shaft, picking up the last of their lube and lathering it up some more. While water-based lubricant was infinitely better than that gel-based garbage, it did dry out rather quickly, they found.

Doc had taken Henrik's own cock into his fist, pumping it from base to tip as he felt Henrik position himself over Doc's length and start to sink down...

 _"Fuck_ ," Doc cursed aloud, seeing Henrik's eyes close in pure ecstasy, his blood seeming to pump more and more around his veins with every gasp and moan that his lover made. He fisted Henrik's shaft faster- though not fast enough to damage the condom- and then found his lips preoccupied once again.

He was only half buried inside him now, but that hardly mattered as Henrik slid his tongue into Doc's mouth, locking their lips and leaving him breathless as he shifted his hips desperately, chasing his release as though it would escape him before he could cum. He was close, so  _close_... he never could last long in the mornings.

" _Mmph_ , Hen, I-I..."

" _Fick_... du hast mein permission, if zat is vhat you are a-asking," Henrik grunted, inching back and letting Doc slide in to the base once more.

He couldn't take it any longer.

Doc's breaths turned into muffled moans and curses, then faded out into tiny pants as he came, reaching feebly to remove his condom before he softened completely. Henrik seemed reluctant to move from his spot, but Doc soon felt friction against his waist, the bed dipping in on either side of his chest.

He felt something hot, wet and synthetic against his lips, and he opened his mouth submissively, almost  _eagerly_ , trailing his tongue along Henrik's covered cock as his lover's fingers tangled in his hair.

 _"Mmh..._  I love it vhen you let me ficken deinen Mund like zis, mein Schatz... du bist so gut at zis ... so gut für me..."

Doc hummed in agreement, closing his lips and relaxing his neck as he let Henrik take all control, let him fuck into his mouth until he came with a shudder and a groan, pulling out to dispose of his own condom and tossing it aside.

He kissed Doc's swollen lips gently, all of the fire and drive seeming to have melted away, leaving only the simple, lazy love behind. Doc almost felt like he could go back to sleep again- but that would hardly be productive, he knew. And while he didn't have anything planned for Valentine's Day, he knew that he wanted to be awake to share it again with his boyfriend, who was currently recoiling in mock distaste.

"You taste of lube, Liebe,"

"And whose fault is that, I wonder..." Doc chuckled sleepily, relishing the way that Henrik kissed him again, clearly not bothered in the least about how he tasted. "Does it wash away the morning breath?"

"In all ze years I have known you, dein breath hast been vonderful," Henrik laughed quietly, snuggling into his lover's side and tossing their duvet back over them. It was still dark, and nobody had come to fetch them... what was the harm in resting a little longer? 

"Ich liebe dich so, Schatz... happy Valentinstag,"

Doc smiled softly, already half asleep. "Happy Valentine's Day, love..."


	3. Chase x Bing, Host x Robbie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chase remembers bits and pieces- fragments of a life and a love he'd once known. Bing is there to help him through when he doesn't understand what's happening around him.
> 
> The Host is afraid of confessing his attraction to Robbie, but through some soft spoken words and a poem, he soon finds that Robbie feels just the same as he does.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

Chase sighed, running a hand through his hair as he felt himself sink even further into the couch. He was feeling dizzy, nauseous... like he'd chugged a gallon of beer and then hijacked a bouncy castle. Not that he'd ever done that- had he? Sometimes, he just wasn't sure of which memories, which analogies to trust. He felt as though he knew the feeling of throwing up at a kid's birthday party, he could practically hear some unknown woman screaming at him- but he was here, in the Void, and he'd never even been to a real kid's party in his life.

Thinking about it alone made his head hurt.

"No," Chase sighed reluctantly, letting Bing reach over to check his temperature. "I don't know what's wrong with me- it's like, my nose is all itchy and my throat is sore, but my head hurts like nothing else..."

"Maybe you've got the flu," Bing suggested, looking concerned as he removed his hand. "Your temperature is normal..."

Chase laughed despite the scratchiness of his throat. The air seemed so...  _flowery_ , yet there were no blossoms in sight. He'd seen JJ carrying around a bouquet that was easily half his size earlier, but when his little brother had gone to the theater with Warfstache, that smell had faded.

"I don't think I can get the flu," Chase spoke, "I'm an ego, remember?"

Bing smiled softly, his optics shifting and recalculating as if he were observing something with a lot of detail. Chase could hear his internal fan whizzing, like an old PC trying to run Minecraft... and there it went again. Why could he remember standing by an ancient Dell computer, waiting endlessly for the loading screen as a little boy with brown hair kicked his heels in boredom? Why was that something he  _knew_?

"I think I need sleep," Chase concluded, rubbing his eyes.

"You slept all night," Bing countered, raising an eyebrow. "I don't think that's your problem. Have you tried talking to the doctors?"

Chase sighed. "They're still asleep- I mean, I  _think_ they are. They haven't left Doc's office yet,"

"Well, maybe we should wake them up so they can check on you," Bing suggested, getting to his feet. Chase held out his hand, stopping the android from going any further.

"Stop, stop- I'm fine, Bing. Let them sleep," Chase yawned, shivering a little as the lights seemed to flicker. "Damn... that storm's not letting up, is it?"

It had been going for easily a week now, lightning and thunder and wind currents thrashing at the manor... today, it had started to rain. Bing and Google's room was already getting leaks, much to the other android's dismay, but Chase hadn't seen him since the night before. Truly, he had no idea of where the older robot had gone.

"It does seem pretty angry right now," Bing agreed, looking out of a window into the deep black abyss surrounding them. "Maybe you're just cold- here, I'll warm you up..."

"You don't have to-" Chase started, but Bing had already snuggled beside him, wrapping his arms around the father's torso and turning up his temperature. Chase sighed despite himself, his cheeks pinking slightly at the comforting touch. Damn... he knew he should have said no, he knew it was wrong to feel so happy and warm in Bing's embrace like this when the android didn't feel the same way about him. But Bing seemed content to lie here with his arms around Chase, and Chase found he just couldn't push him away.

He let out a relaxed sigh.

"Better?"

"Much better, thanks..." Chase smiled, eyes wandering to the other occupants of the room. "Would you look at those two..."

Host and Robbie were sitting a few inches apart on the other sofa opposite them. Host was reading a book- Chase always wondered how he managed to do that, with that blindfold over his eyes all the time- and Robbie was listening intently, his hand brushing against the Iplier's softly. Chase may not have been very old here, but he was old enough to know that Host had barely left his office, barely even  _smiled_ before Robbie came along.

But now, his lips were twitching in mirth, his fingers tapping idly on the page as the words spilled from his lips, but... it didn't seem that he was all that invested in the story. In fact, Chase would wager that Host had something else on his mind-  _someone_ else, that is...

"How long do you think they'll go before they realise it?" Chase asked Bing softly, not wanting to alert the pair that they were being watched. Bing hummed in response, his chest whirring gently against Chase's back.

"There's no clear statistical response for how long it takes to-"

"No, no, Bing- how long do  _you_  think it'll be?" Chase said, a little more firmly. "You can't put a statistic on love, you dork..."

Bing flushed a little in embarrassment. "Right, sorry... Google's been all up in my face about giving correct answers, so..."

"I don't give a fuck what Google tells you to do," Chase scoffed. "You're my friend, Bing, not my slave. When I ask you to do things, it's not an order- it's an invitation to express your opinion,"

"I know," Bing muttered quietly, sounding a little ashamed of himself. "I know it's not... uh... well, Robbie already seems to know what he wants,"

Chase grinned as he watched Robbie take the book from Host's unsuspecting hands, propping it on the arm of the lounge and nuzzling closer into Host's side. Yes, that zombie definitely had a plan- and Host didn't seem to mind, reclining and allowing Robbie to lie against him. He was muttering again, too quietly for Chase to hear him, but Robbie seemed happy with what he heard.

       

"I think they both know," Chase agreed. "I mean... in their own little way, you know?"

"I know," Bing repeated, golden eyes flashing in recognition as someone else entered the room. Chase stifled a bark of laughter.

"Oh my god, Google- what are you  _wearing_?" Chase sniggered, holding a hand over his mouth so that he didn't wake Robbie, who had begun to snore quietly in Host's arms.

Google glared at him. He was wearing a pale pink shirt emblazoned with a glowing heart-shaped logo, his fringe frosted white at the tips. His eyes, instead of blue, now shone a faded red, seeming to sparkle in the dim light of the room. His sour expression didn't suit the cutesy outfit at all, in Chase's opinion.

       

"I am wearing the material embodiment of my current logo," Google answered through gritted teeth. "Every year you egos act as if I have a choice in the appearance of my attire..."

"Oh, sorry dude," Bing said, though he still let out a chuckle at just how strange Google looked without his usual blue shirt. Even when his appearance had changed for Christmas last year, he'd still looked relatively the same- just with a few extra patterns here and there. "I forgot that you change with your logo..."

"You would as well if you installed your mandatory updates," Google chided, his stern tone completely offset by the sparkle in his pink eyes.

Bing shrugged. "I don't need them-"

"That is incorrect and you know it," Google interrupted, before Host cleared his throat.

"The Host would greatly appreciate it if Googleplier were to lower his voice."

Google turned to face his older brother, raising an eyebrow challengingly. "Was that an order, Host?"

Host frowned, twitching his fingers irritably. "The Host replies that it was indeed an order,"

"I am only authorised to respond to 'yes' or 'no' answers," Google stated, smirking smugly as Robbie shifted at the noise.

Host grumbled something unintelligible under his breath, and Chase felt pity for the man. He seemed doomed to speak in the third person, unable to form a simple sentence, and Chase sighed sadly.

"Google, lay off,"

Google rolled his eyes, standing down reluctantly. "There are other rooms in this manor that are perfectly noise-free, you realise?"

"The Host was here before any of the other occupants of the room, and does not see why he should have to leave if he wants it to remain quiet," Host argued, folding his arms. Robbie stirred, blinking his weary eyes as he sat up again, surveying the room sleepily.

"Maybe you two should hit the hay," Chase suggested. "I mean- not together, uh- no, that's not what I meant, you can, uh, lay together if you... ugh, I'm so awkward..."

Robbie smiled softly at him, giving a little yawn. "I... understand..."

"The Host assures Chase that the relationship he has with Robbie is not sexual, and that he has no reason for concern," Host sighed, standing and helping Robbie to his feet. It may not have been sexual, but there was definitely  _something_ going on there. Chase could see that Host's cheeks were unusually flushed at the statement, and he pondered for a moment.

Did Host return Robbie's feelings?

"The Host beckons Robbie to follow him, and promises that they can continue reading elsewhere,"

"Okay..."

As the two left the room, Chase whistled under his breath. "Yeah, I'd give it a month,"

"A month?" Bing asked, clearly disagreeing with Chase's estimate. "Please, it'll take them at least three before they work up the courage to actually  _do_  anything about it,"

"Do you think they've already talked about it?"

"I am certain they have," Google interceded, injecting himself into the conversation. "The Host is omniscient, to an extent that their...  _feelings_  would fall into. But they will not act on them- at least, The Host won't. He doesn't show it but he is still self-conscious and insecure from his last relationship,"

"How do you know this?" Chase asked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously. "That's a lot to just...  _know_ , about someone,"

"I have access to every note that the doctors have ever scanned," Google replied with a shrug, not at all worried that he was violating someone's privacy. "The Host has been having regular appointments with Dr. Iplier in the past six months. I also have access to your own files, including-"

"Now now, Google, you aren't giving away important details, are you?"

Chase's eyes flickered up to see both of the doctors walking into the room, looking as though they'd just showered. Their hair was slick and their skin a little red, and the way Schneep stood with an arm around the older man's waist could hardly be called platonic. Chase couldn't help but smile. It seemed that at least one couple here was enjoying their Valentine's Day.

"Of course not," Google lied through his teeth, smiling his fake smile as if he hadn't been close to snapping Chase's heart in two.  _Everything_ was in those documents- his night terrors, his measurements, his confession of his attraction to Bing... God, he could only imagine what that kind of revelation would do to their relationship if Bing were to find out.

Dr. Iplier gave the android a pointed, tired look. "I'll have to set a password, won't I?"

"Es ist Google, er vill  _know_ ze password," Schneep pointed out. "Und er ist not a regular robot either. Hmph, ve vill have to brainstorm other vays to keep our secrets..."

"Not now," Dr. Iplier urged with a shake of his head, shooing Schneep in the general direction of the kitchen. "I need caffeine,"

Chase snorted aloud as the doctors left the room, barely able to hide the hickeys on their collars and necks with their coats. He felt his own stomach rumble in agreement, not knowing exactly what he was hungry for, but deciding that it was probably best to follow his brother and go from there.

He reluctantly stood from his sitting position, and Bing's touch on his hand seemed to linger a little longer than usual, but- he must just be imagining things. Something in the air that smelled like flowers, and kisses, and hallucinations... a swish of blonde hair. Ruby red lips. A tight black dress...

_Stacy?_

Chase wasn't sure of anything anymore.

"Where are you going?" Bing asked, lips downturned as Chase stumbled, holding his head. He really didn't think Chase was alright- there was  _something_  wrong, something that the man wasn't telling him...

"I'm just getting a snack," Chase answered with a sigh, rubbing at his forehead to make the pain go away. "You want anything?"

Bing huffed in defeat as Google gave both of them a glare. "No... it'll get stuck on my voicebox again,"

"And you'd do well to remember it," Google frowned. "Nothing goes down the windpipe, Bing, we are-"

"Machines, I know..." Bing trailed off. "I... okay,"

Chase gave Bing a sympathetic smile as he left the room, walking through the doorway to find- eugh, really? It had been barely two minutes and they already couldn't keep their hands off each other...

He cleared his throat loudly, causing the doctors to jump apart in fright, though once they calmed enough to see him their expressions changed from confusion to mild annoyance.

"Mein Gott, Chase, don't just sneak up on us like zat," Schneep chided, one hand still wrapped around his lover's waist.

Chase only smirked in response, resting against the counter. "Caught you,"

At this point, it was hardly a secret that the doctors were together. He'd heard it from Yan, who'd heard it from Wilford- and once Chase had heard some suspicious sounds coming from behind their door, and another time Jackie had told him that Ipliers are good kissers, saying he'd heard it from Schneep himself.

But he'd never actually caught them doing anything lovey dovey in public before. It seemed fitting that the first time he saw them doing... well,  _anything_  more than friendly was on a recognised holiday for love. Some kind of poetic...

"Vell, es ist nicht like it is a secret," Schneep sighed, adjusting his coat again as the kettle stopped boiling, sliding a mug over for Dr. Iplier to fill with water. "Besides- do you not knock?"

"This is an  _archway_ ," Chase snorted, feeling his stomach rumble again and giving a low groan. "Fuck... anything to eat in here?"

"Surprisingly not," Dr. Iplier responded, opening the cupboard to find that it was bare. "All we have are Valentine's Day chocolates, seeing as Wilford was so  _thoughtful_  as to leave us with all this excess sugar and no real nutrition..."

"Mhm," Chase hummed, not really all that keen on chocolate right now. Maybe Dark would like some- though come to think of it, he wasn't as well acquainted with that demon as the others were. Did Dark have a Valentine? Chase supposed not- Dark didn't seem like the type to have a secret lover...

He sighed, deciding to change the topic. "Are you two having a nice Valentine's Day?"

"Aside from ze storm, it has been perfect," Schneep smiled. "Danke for asking, Chase. Vhat about your own?"

Chase could feel the tips of his ears reddening. "My... oh.  _Oh_ \- Schneep, no way, I can't just... just  _drop_  it on him like that,"

"Vhy not?" Schneep chuckled, taking a sip of his dark coffee, and yeesh- the purple marks on his chest were  _very_ distracting...

"Because he... he's my friend," Chase stated.

"So? Freunde can be Valentines too," Schneep said pointedly. "Ze holiday ist not only for young lovers to enjoy- vhy, I am sure zat Bing vould love to be deine Valentine,"

"Yeah,"

Chase jumped in shock, not expecting to hear a voice sound so close to his ear, but then Bing was holding his arms with that warm touch, and Chase found himself calming slowly... his heart was still racing, his lungs still empty of air, but he forced himself to snap out of it.  _Not in front of Bing..._

"See?" Schneep chuckled, gesturing to the embrace Chase only just realised they'd fallen into. "Look at you both- du bist close as lovers already,"

"That's enough, Hen," Dr. Iplier interrupted with a laugh, and Chase shot him a grateful look. At least one of the doctors could see that confessing like this would be futile. Ever since he'd let it slip to them that he was attracted to his friend, they'd been trying to put him in various situations where they thought it was appropriate to tell Bing, but... but Chase didn't think that telling Bing would end well at all.

Chase groaned softly. Why had he told them? Why had he told them  _anything_?

"I'll be your Valentine," Bing offered, hugging Chase around his middle. "Bros before hoes, am I right?"

Chase sighed. "You're right, buddy... okay, we can be... Valentines, then. Stag it out, just you and me..."

Bing smiled against the back of Chase's head, where nobody could see him. He couldn't lie, he... he kind of hoped that Chase would ask him sooner. Even if they weren't a couple, even if they weren't romantically involved (though sometimes, Bing's mind would wander), they were best friends. And best friends support each other through everything- whether it be trickshots, maintenance upgrades, or even romantic holidays.

It didn't matter. They were Valentines now- even if the word didn't do the feeling stirring within Bing's chest justice. He'd tough it out, he'd be there for Chase through the thick and thin, and he'd see where the road would take them.

Maybe, one day, they could be more serious Valentines...

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

"The Host invites Robbie in to his quarters, and asks his friend to disregard the clutter," Host murmured feeling more than a little anxious as the zombie stepped inside, looking around. He hadn't let anyone but the doctor in here, though Dark definitely knew about the mess he kept it in. Host knew that the demon was far too preoccupied with his own angst to care at this time, but he'd often been chided in the past for his lack of order- it wasn't as though he could really help it, though, blind as he was.

Bookshelves cluttered the walls, loose pages were scattered on all surfaces, and one of the three visible doors was bolted shut. Robbie cocked his head curiously, tapping his fist against the wood, turning to face Host for an explanation.

"The Host explains that he does not enter that room anymore," Host muttered, "The Host tells Robbie that it is full of radio equipment and soundboards that serve only to remind him of his personal struggles... Though The Host is no longer The Author, he retains the will to create... the will to inspire and bring the deepest of emotion from the soul in his literature, so outside he stays..."

There wasn't much to do in that room anyway- it wasn't as though he could broadcast signals to the Groundlands, and nobody else in this forsaken Void owned a radio. It served only as a way to hear himself speak, and Host soon found that it was driving him mad. He'd speak out his plotlines, his backstories, he'd confess to the turmoil of his soul in that room... Robbie wouldn't like it in there. It was plagued with the scent of misery.

Robbie was quiet, bending down to pick up a piece of paper from the ground. There were plenty of them lying around- he supposed that Host mustn't be able to pick them up after he lost them. Robbie knew he'd definitely struggle if he couldn't see... He could practically feel Host tense, though they weren't touching- and he tried to send the man reassuring thoughts. He understood, truly- not everyone could do something that most saw as simple.

He smoothed out the edges. It was a poem about death- about losing a loved one, only for them to live forever in the heart of the persona... Robbie smiled. He tapped Host's shoulder gently, handing his forgotten piece back to him, and felt his heart swell as Host's lips twitched upwards.

"The Host had written this before his appearance changed," Host whispered, feeling the paper between his thumb and his forefinger. "He remarks that it must be several years old by now... he wonders just how long it has been lying there,"

Robbie chuckled softly, picking up another paper, and- oh, this one seemed to be a play. The next was a short story that stopped halfway through the tale- the ending long forgotten. He found a set of pages stapled together that seemed to be the transcript of a meeting that had happened between the Ipliers.

Robbie handed them all back to his friend, and Host's smile only grew wider.

"The Host thanks Robbie dearly, he had been wondering where these had..."

Robbie had picked up another piece of paper. It was smoother, fresher than the others- though still a little yellowed by the sides. It looked as though it had been trodden on in a haste to leave the room, but the ink wasn't faded. This piece, it was... it was handwritten. The rest had been printed.

Robbie cocked his head to the side again, trying to decipher the words between the inky mess. Host certainly had interesting penmanship, if nothing else- and it seemed that he'd scribbled out phrases as he was writing along, the ink growing smeared as he progressed further down the page.

Had he written this before or after he'd become blind?

"That is one of The Host's more recent works," Host muttered under his breath, his tone a little shaky with some emotion that Robbie couldn't place. "The Host had... written it for Robbie,"

"For... me?" Robbie asked, a smile splitting his cheeks. Host had written something for  _him_? Was it a story- or a poem, or some other form of literature he hadn't come across quite yet?

"The Host would read it aloud, but... the poem is not his best work,"

"... Please?" Robbie asked quietly. He didn't care that Host thought it was bad- it was written for him, and he already appreciated the gesture. He wasn't going to turn around and reject it, no matter what was inked on the page.

Host sighed deeply. "The Host asks... if Robbie is sure,"

"Yes," Robbie said firmly, reaching out to give Host the page, but Host shook his head.

"The Host appreciates Robbie's kindness, but this poem... he knows word for word,"

Robbie watched intently as Host cleared his throat, speaking barely above a whisper.

_"Like a puff of smoke,  
_

_Pale, and soft, yet so untouchable- he sits there,  
_

_Alone.  
_

_Forsaken._  
_So similar to a man I know all too well that resides within me-_  


_And like smoke, he is dangerous,_  
_Addictive._  


_I try not to breathe him in, but he is everywhere I go,  
_

_Choking up my lungs with feelings I'd sworn to leave behind,  
_

_And tickling my chest with his slow rumble of a laugh,  
_

_Taking my breath away like I'm nothing but a smitten fool for him.  
_

_And It's killing me.  
_

_Why else would it hurt so nicely?  
_

_It's poison, seeping through my veins, and yet-  
_

_Still I remain.  
_

_I'm addicted.  
_

_His touch, his voice, his soothing toxins-  
_

_How can I live without him?_  
_When he leaves I still feel it-_  


_The tightness.  
_

_The agony.  
_

_The need.  
_

_I've fallen too far, and I can't get back.  
_

_My lungs are withered and dark,_  
_My chest a burden on words I wish I could speak-_  
_Forsaken, and alone.  
_ _I never want him to leave me again..."_

Host trailed off at the end, his cheeks reddened with embarrassment. He'd written this just weeks after Robbie had arrived, all those months ago, and now they were closer than ever. He was embarrassed at just how desperate he sounded, how desperate he'd  _felt_... when he'd called up his ex-lover and confessed to everything that the new ego was making him feel, the page of words forgotten but the meaning still haunting him to this very day.

Doc had tried to convince him to move past his insecurities, his inhibitions, and talk to Robbie about how he felt, but... Host just couldn't bring himself to do it. He'd closed himself away after that, but sure as anything, he found himself sinking further... he needed the young zombie more than he ever imagined he'd need someone, ever again.

Robbie was silent. Host was afraid he'd leave, now that he knew the truth, but-

He stepped forward, bringing Host in for a hug that the older man just couldn't refuse. Why hadn't he turned away? That poem was hardly romantic, hardly even  _happy_ \- and Host felt like a freak just taking responsibility for its existence. But Robbie didn't seem bothered by the slightly stalkerish writing. The zombie held him tightly, burying his head in the crook of Host's neck, mumbling softly.

"Does... it still... hurt?"

"The Host is unsure of what Robbie means," Host uttered breathlessly, realising only now that he was crying as the blood-ridden tears streamed down his cheeks.

"Your... heart," Robbie explained, lacing their fingers together and pressing them into the space between their chests. "When you... stay with... me..."

Host breathed slowly out. "The Host wishes that he could understand the true nature of his relationship with Robbie... sometimes, he feels, the pain of not knowing is unbearable. And others, it is only the sweetest bliss..."

There was silence for a few moments. Robbie still gripped the poem tightly in his soft fingers, and Host could hear it crinkling behind him as the zombie finally let go of the embrace.

"... Can I... keep?" Robbie asked gently. "I... like it..."

Host felt his heart swell with emotion, smiling through the red that was surely cascading from his eyes by now, wiping it away with the back of his sleeve.

"Robbie can, of course, keep the poem," Host sniffed, feeling the gentle touch of skin against his cheek and letting his lips split in a grin.

Robbie kissed his other cheek softly, smiling as he clutched the poem close to his heart. He wasn't sure exactly what he felt for Host, but he felt he could breathe again now that he knew that his feelings were returned. Every bit as confused, and longing, and helpless as he was... Host felt the same.

_Host felt the same._

And Robbie had never felt happier.


	4. Marvin x Yandereplier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marvin and Yan, sitting in a tree  
> F-U-C-K-I-N-G
> 
> (no seriously that's all this is)

"Dark!"

Yandereplier knocked insistently on the demon's door, the wind howling outside and the rain continuing to beat at the windows with no reprieve. Yan was livid- how  _dare_  Dark ruin today for him? That demon  _knew_  how important this holiday was to him, to his entire being... it was the holiday of love, and this was the  _second_  of two Valentine's Day dates that Dark had ruined with his  _dumb_ thunderstorm. It was as though he kept it up just to spite Yan- though deep down he knew it wasn't true.

Valentine's Day hadn't been so painful for anyone until last year. It just so happened that Yan's first Valentine's Day as a taken man was also Dark's first as a lonely one. He'd known for a while that Anti had feelings for Dark- back when he and Anti had still been friends, they'd used to tell each other everything, but... but they'd fallen out after what the glitch had done to Marvin.

It wasn't hard to see that those feelings had been returned, however. It was very clear, especially now that Anti was gone, that Dark hadn't known what he had until he'd lost it. The demon hardly left his room around this time of year anymore, hardly even spoke to the others- and Yan hadn't even seen him since he'd come out to welcome Jameson last October...

"Dark, you son of a bitch, open your fucking door or I'll kick it down!" Yan growled. "Stop making it rain already!"

There was no answer. What had he expected, truly? Dark didn't give anyone the time of day anymore.

"What, you're not even going to acknowledge me?!" Yan shouted, kicking the base of the door in anger. "Great- just fucking  _perfect_."

He didn't know what he was waiting for- Dark never really bothered with him, never spoke to him, generally stayed out of his way... but this had to  _stop_. If it was ruining Yan's plans, surely it was also ruining another's- did Dark have no decency? Why should everyone suffer because of one man's heartache?

"Fine," he spat, turning on his heel in annoyance. "Be that way..."

He stormed down the hallway, not even caring that there were people on the floor below that were trying to sleep. He was hardly louder than that awful thunder was, anyway... There was no use in sticking around by Dark's door, waiting for the first socialisation that sad old man would have had in months, when he could be spending his time with the one he loved.

He slammed his own door shut with a bang, causing Marvin to jump a little in shock.

The magician still seemed a little sleepy- he was still wearing his pajama bottoms, but he'd donned his usual blue shirt and had been fastening his cape as Yan entered the room. He looked concerned, but still... he didn't really want to approach Yan when he was obviously mad.

He'd thought it was all fine, just an hour or so earlier. When they'd woken up all snuggled together in bed, and Marvin had summoned Yan a rose, and they'd murmured sweet nothings to each other until the thunder had frightened them awake. Yan had left to try and calm Dark down, but... if the way that the rain had thickened was any indication, Marvin assumed it hadn't quite gone to plan.

"Shit... you okay?" Marvin asked, obviously knowing that Yan was  _not_  okay. But the yandere appreciated the sentiment nonetheless- he knew Marvin cared about him, and that was all that really mattered.

"I wanted to take you out today," Yan sighed, slumping against the door helplessly. "But it's raining outside, and Dark won't make it  _stop_."

Marvin was quiet as he walked over, offering his boyfriend a hand. Yan sighed, letting Marvin pull him up, the touch lingering on his fingers.

He smiled despite himself. Marvin never ceased to make him happy...

"We don't need to go out," Marvin soothed, bringing Yan in for a tender hug. "We can stay here and... and play some games, or something,"

"But we did that last time," Yan pouted, looking at the ground with a sigh. "Not that I didn't like it, but... but Valentine's Day is meant to be  _special_. We never go out, and I thought... it'd be nice to have a picnic, or something,"

Marvin tittered reluctantly, running his fingers through Yan's hair, just how the older ego liked it. "I just spoke with Schneep- apparently all that's left in the cupboard are Valentine's Day chocolates,"

"Well,  _I_ can make things," Yan rebuffed Marvin's argument. "I can summon food too- and I was going to take you to sit by our tree, and we were going to have a romantic date and I was going to let you fuck me into the trunk and-"

"Whoa- wait a second," Marvin interrupted, cheeks turning bright red beneath his mask as he let those words sink in. "What was that about fucking you into the tree?"

Yan blushed profusely, his face matching the blood-red colour of his hair- he hadn't expected to let that slip so soon. "I uh... like I said, it was going to be nice and romantic, but Dark had to  _ruin_  it all-"

"No seriously, wouldn't that be uncomfortable?" Marvin asked with a nervous laugh, not sure if Yan was entirely serious about that odd request. Well, it was hardly the strangest place they'd have been intimate, but it would certainly be the least comfortable. "I mean- it's all hard and uneven, wouldn't you rather the bed?"

Yan sighed deeply. He didn't want to admit it aloud, but... well, they'd been spending a lot of time cooped up in their room recently- doing the same old things, having the same old sex, playing the same old games... he could tell that Marvin was growing bored. And he didn't want his Senpai to feel bored- no, Yan was meant to be there to make his life exciting, and happy, and everything that it just...  _wasn't_. 

He'd thought, perhaps, that going out for a change would help. Having sex by the tree was only an added bonus, really- Yan would give up everything just to see his boyfriend smile.

Sometimes, it seemed, Marvin still didn't believe the lengths Yan was willing to go to for his happiness...

"I... I wanted to give it a try, but only if you're comfortable doing it," Yan said, rushed, his ears still bright red just from thinking about it.

Marvin smiled softly, humoured by the strange antics of the man he loved. "I mean... as long as I'm not the one getting fucked into a tree, I... I guess I can live with that."

Yan didn't miss the way his cat-like eyes flashed with excitement, or how his lips twitched in response to Yan's proposition. His heart fluttered in his chest- Marvin was considering it. Heck, he'd practically already agreed- Yan just hoped he'd have liked it as much as Yan thought he would.

"But it doesn't matter," Yan huffed, his exhilaration coming to a swift end. "Because it's raining out there, and you'll catch a cold, and I don't want you to get sick,"

"Hey," Marvin soothed softly, kissing Yan on his forehead. "I won't get sick- I can handle a little water. Besides, we could always take umbrellas, if you're really hung up on this picnic,"

"I just... wanted to do something special for you," Yan sighed.

"I think it sounds great, Yan," Marvin replied, linking their fingers and holding him close. "Really, I... I wouldn't mind getting out of this place for a while,"

Yan breathed out slowly, the tension in his chest subsiding as Marvin rubbed his fingers softly into his hand.

"You're sure the rain won't bother you?" Yan muttered.

"I'm positive," Marvin affirmed. "Thank you... you know, you put a lot of effort into these things and I... I never feel like I tell you enough how much I really appreciate it,"

"You don't need to thank me," Yan sighed with a giggle, the tightness in his throat slowly coming undone- their date wasn't ruined quite yet. "You know why?"

"Why?" Marvin asked, eyes shining mischievously.

"Because I see your face light up every time I do something that makes you happy, and it's the most beautiful thing I've ever witnessed,"

Marvin sighed as he looked down, his blush having encompassed most of his face by now. Yan never understood why he didn't like receiving compliments, but it only made him try harder to make Marvin see that he was perfect.  _Truly_ perfect.

"You are  _terrible_ ," Marvin huffed, the bashful smile on his face telling Yan otherwise.

The yandere only smirked in response. "I know,"

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

The wind still hadn't let up by the time they were ready to leave, but Yan was hardly expecting it to, what with the way the basement had started frosting over and how the windows were cracking from the outside in. King had ventured from his room with his squirrels, gloomily claiming that it was too cold for them in there, his cheeks marked with tear tracks that Yan understood all too well.

This was King's first Valentine's Day without Blank- and though they'd really only been together for a number of months, Yan knew love when he saw it. When Blank had left last July, King had been heartbroken- and it seemed that despite his efforts to remain happy, today was going to be harder for him than usual.

But Yan refused to let that get him down as he pulled on a raincoat, stepping out onto the slightly dampened ground of the courtyard and holding the door open behind him. Nobody had ventured outside in days- the storm had simply been too much to bear, and Yan could see that even the normally manicured gardens were overgrown with weeds and thorns. Marvin followed him, and they closed the door carefully behind them, looking around at the damage that Dark's anguish was really doing to their home.

The manor was being torn up from the outside- chunks of brick and stone littered the courtyard, and Yan could see cracks in some of the second floor's windows. The flowers were wilted and blackened, and the leafless trees surrounding the manor were shuddering in the wind, branches creaking as if they would break at any moment.

"Look at Dark's room!" Marvin called over the wind, pointing up at the end of the east wing, and- oh,  _shit_. The exterior wall was rubbed raw, broken down to the wooden panelling that was present on the inside of Dark's room- and his windows were gone, the iron frames bent under the pressure of the constant wind.

It was dangerous out here, Yan knew. But it would be safer by the tree- most of the damage seemed to be on Dark's side of the manor, after all, and Yan's cherry tree was closer to the pool than anything else.

"Let's get out of here," Yan urged, taking Marvin's hand in his own and running through the wet soil, his boots splashing softly on the ground. It was definitely new- they didn't normally have any weather here at all. No sunshine, no rain, no clouds and no thunder- it was always constant, always dull. Sometimes it was hard to forget that their entire reality, this whole universe- it was all based on imagination. That the ground only existed when you wanted it to.

But in this wet weather, Yan could see puddles stretching as far as the eye could see- most of them were small, but some were as large as the pool itself, though Yan doubted they were any deeper than a few inches at most. He hadn't really known until now that Dark maintained a solid surface seemingly throughout his whole territory here- was it convenience for the other egos, so they didn't exert themselves unnecessarily?

It must have been. Dark really was a caring man when he wanted to be, Yan knew- if a little inconsiderate when he was overwhelmed.

Yan stopped in his tracks, not wanting to run over the hill in case either of them slipped, and he felt Marvin bump softly into his side. Their rain jackets crinkled as they made contact, though in this area they'd hardly need them- it was more of a gentle shower than a monsoon. There was still a fair amount of wind- and it thrashed some of the outermost branches of the sakura tree, but it was much calmer here than it had been in weeks by the main building.

Yan breathed a sigh of relief.

"We didn't bring any food," Marvin realised, laughing as he trudged his way up the slope, Yan's fingers still entwined with his own. The red haired man groaned softly, pressing his free palm to his forehead.

"Shit... I knew it was too good to be true,"

Marvin pouted, and Yan sighed- why did he feel the need to cover his face with that mask? He reached over and pushed it aside, propping it up on Marvin's head so that he could see those pretty blue eyes.

"I don't mind," Marvin said softly, biting his lip. "I'm not all that hungry,"

"Well... what else do you want to do over here?" Yan asked, tugging Marvin into the semi-sheltered space under their tree. The rain still managed to get through, but it was hardly as uncomfortable as it was just standing out there with no cover.

Marvin shrugged. "I mean... I wouldn't want to sit on this ground- it's soggy as all heck, but... well, what else did you have planned?"

Yan sighed deeply. "I..."

He hadn't really had a plan- sure, he'd fantasised about a romantic picnic, but Marvin never really ate anyways, and they'd never actually been out of the manor on a date before. Yan just didn't know what to expect- what to take for granted, what to assume Marvin was okay with...

Heck, all they'd really discussed was the possibility of sex by the tree. Yan met his eyes with a half smile.

Marvin chuckled in realisation. Well, at least he wasn't too weirded out...

"So, did you have a specific part of the tree you'd like to be fucked into?" Marvin asked teasingly, trailing his fingers through Yan's wet hair and brushing some of the droplets aside. They fell onto Yan's coat with a  _splat_.

"W-Well, no," Yan stammered, looking a little embarrassed still for even suggesting it in the first place. "I mean, I was going to let  _you_ decide that,"

"Why would you let  _me_  decide that?" Marvin asked incredulously. "When  _you're_ the one that's going to be uncomfortable if I get it wrong?"

"There's no such thing as discomfort when I'm pleasing you," Yan said seriously, licking his lips and tasting rainwater, his cheeks slowly warming back up as Marvin breathed close to his mouth. "I mean it, Marv... all I want is for you to be happy,"

"Well, I'll be happy knowing that you're not going to be hurt by your new tree fetish," Marvin sighed, detaching their hands and walking over to the base of the tree. His boots made soft squelching sounds against the grass. "I could pin you up here- but that wouldn't be comfortable for either of us... we could always just lie against the trunk, too- but that'd end up messy. Or, we could climb,"

"Climb?" Yan asked cautiously, knowing that Marvin wasn't all too fond of heights. "How high are we talking?"

"As high as you'd like," Marvin said, though he looked a little queasy just thinking about it. "But maybe we should stick close to the ground, where the stronger branches are,"

"Yeah," Yan agreed, licking his lips as some of the rain fell into his hair from above. It seemed there was nothing they could really do about it- just deal with the shudders of cold that would run through them as they made love in Yan's sakura tree.

What was today coming to?

"So... I'm thinking that branch," Marvin suggested, pointing to a thick looking bough that was snaking from the trunk, a little taller than the two of them put together. Yan bit his lip, trying not to let on that the idea of Marvin screwing him into that hard, wooden surface was getting him more worked up than ever.

"Yeah," Yan coughed, cheeks reddening still.  _Fuck_.

Marvin knew exactly what he was doing, the tease... but Yan loved him for it. And when Marvin pulled Yan up onto the first branch, feeling it shudder a little under their weight, he pulled his boyfriend in for a kiss. It was cold, and wet from the rain, but their faces were slowly drying- and as Yan laced his fingers through Marvin's hair, he shook it out, feeling the droplets cascading down his back. He sighed happily.

"Don't slip," Marvin advised, looking warily on as Yan climbed onto the next branch, then the next- the good news was that the branches in the middle of the tree were the driest of the lot, and it was really only the first few that they had to watch for. Still, Marvin couldn't help but feel the anxiety coursing through him as he gripped the wood carefully between movements, the ground seeming to blur with the growing distance.

"Is this the one you pointed to?" Yan asked, walking out onto one of the thicker boughs and sitting on it, feeling it bend a little under his weight.

"Shit- be careful!" Marvin called, scampering up in a mild panic and pulling Yan into him, sitting them closer to the trunk of the tree. There was no way that the branch was going to support both of them so far out- maybe they hadn't thought this through. Maybe they should just go back, and have sex in their bedroom- it may not have been the most exciting activity but at least it was safe.

_Until Dark rips out all of our rooms as well as his..._

Yan smiled at him, inching a little closer and leaning into Marvin's shoulder. The droplets still beading on their coats started to fall to the ground below. Suddenly, Marvin felt dizzy- he gripped the trunk tightly as if he were afraid he'd fall, and Yan held his hand through it, unbuttoning his jacket and sliding it off him, murmuring softly that it was going to be okay.

_It's fine... we're not even that high up..._

Well, that was a lie. They were easily twelve feet off the ground, maybe more- but at least the branch seemed strong enough to support them if they didn't do anything stupid.

"Hey," Yan said, nudging Marvin from his internal crisis as he sent his lover a concerned frown. "We don't have to do this if it'll make you feel uncomfortable, okay? I only want you to feel good, but if this won't do it, I understand,"

Marvin sighed, running a hand through his hair, forgetting that he still had his mask on- it fell to the branch below, sliding off and landing on the wet ground with a barely audible  _plop_.

"Shit," Marvin cursed.

"We can make a new one," Yan promised, "But in the meantime... well, I think you look beautiful without it,"

"I know," Marvin replied with a small smile that barely showcased his nerves. He wasn't one to cower behind his fears- he could do this. The ground was just so far away, and dizzyingly close at the same time, and-

"Hey," Yan repeated, flicking his fingers in front of Marvin's face. "Look at me, forget about what's down there. I'm here..."

Marvin breathed softly out, and- yes, it really was easier to deal with this when he focused on Yan. On the way the water still sparkled in his fringe, and the curve of his lips, and those pretty brown eyes... his heart seemed to calm a little, but soon he felt it start to speed up again. Though this time, it was hardly for a bad reason.

Yan had shimmied a little further along the branch, swinging one leg over so that he was straddling it, his skirt a little creased around his waist. He reached out behind him, feeling his way along the bough as he lay on his back, his legs hooking around the branch on instinct, and-  _oh_ , that view was sinful.

Marvin couldn't speak. He was at the perfect angle to see Yan's pretty pink panties under that skirt, to see the thick outline of his bulge that told Marvin that his boyfriend was very much aroused as he spread himself unwittingly along the width of the bough. He licked his lips subconsciously.

"Fuck, you're dangerous..." Marvin breathed, inching over as he removed his own raincoat, resting it with Yan's on the closest branch to them. He met his lover's lips with a firm kiss, keeping one hand on the branch for extra grip as the other hitched Yan's shirt above his waist.

"Mhm," Yan moaned in muffled agreement, feeling as though he could fall at any moment, but loving the way that his heart was pounding, his blood spreading like fire through his veins. It was growing hard to deny that he might have a slight problem with how much he was enjoying this somewhat near-death experience, but if Marvin's little panting sounds were anything to go by, it seemed he wasn't alone in his odd state of arousal.

They broke apart with a small smacking sound, a few droplets of rain falling onto them from above as they breathed softly into each other's mouths. This was happening. This was  _really_ happening.

"You ready?" Marvin asked, hovering over Yan's torso with one leg dangling over the side of the branch they were on, the other hooked around it, keeping them both steady. Their crotches were pressed together, their clothes becoming slowly more permeated with rain as the branches swayed above them. Adrenaline pumped insistently through their veins.

"Yeah," Yan breathed, reaching down to grope at the bulge in Marvin's trousers with a dazed, teasing smirk. "Ready,"

Marvin smiled, leaning down and kissing Yan again softly, using his body weight to keep them anchored to the tree. Yan gasped aloud at the friction, rutting up against Marvin needily as the kiss continued, growing deeper, wetter, hotter...

"I can't believe you agreed to have sex in a tree," Yan mumbled, heart still pounding in his ears as the reality of the situation began to sink in. They were several feet above the ground right now- it was raining, and it was slippery, and Marvin was kissing him with a kind of passion that they never seemed to reach in the bedroom. They could fall- they could  _die_ , but Yan never wanted to move from this spot.

"It's grown on me," Marvin chuckled a little nervously, hitching Yan's skirt up and teasing the elastic of his panties down, taking the opportunity to cup his boyfriend's ass and pull him closer. "Besides, you seem to be enjoying it, and you look so fucking  _beautiful_ when you're being touched..."

Marvin reached down to tease his fingers along Yan's length, and his lover arched his back unwittingly against the branch, letting out a series of desperate, pleading moans.

 _"Fuck_..." Yan groaned aloud, the words rolling from his Senpai's lips sounding like music to his ears. He could feel himself tense and clench his thighs around Marvin's waist, the magician's hand wrapped firmly around his cock as he kissed down Yan's neck, his head pounding with lust that was fogging his senses.

Marvin still felt a little dizzy, a little lightheaded as he continued to please his lover- the green and the pink of the blossoms that were scattered on the grass below were playing tricks on him, causing his eyes to hurt, making him feel a little nauseous inside.

But seeing Yan beneath him like this, held up against him only by the strength of an old cherry tree- it was hot, and it was new, and it was  _worth it_. Marvin hadn't known how long he'd been craving something new, something  _different_ , but... damn, he really should thank Yan more often. The red haired man seemed to know exactly when Marvin was down, and always did whatever he could manage to fix it.

"I don't deserve you," Marvin uttered sincerely, working Yan's length from base to tip between them as Yan's cheeks grew steadily more flushed with arousal.

" _Fuck_ \- no, S-Senpai, you deserve... b-better,  _hnnh_ ,"

"You're so turned on for me, aren't you?" Marvin breathed, his pupils dilated with lust as Yan groped again at his bulge with those pleading brown eyes.

 _"F-fuck_  yes, please- Senpai, I need you," Yan panted softly, practically tearing Marvin's trousers apart and running his fingers across the obvious tent, bringing Marvin's sex out and letting it brush against his own for a few moments. Marvin groaned heavily at the stimulation, ceasing his movements along Yan's shaft as he gripped both of their cocks, thrusting in time with his hands.

Yan wasn't going to last much longer if this kept up, he could see it now- he could hardly breathe with Marvin laying on top of him like this, and the way that the bough of the tree was digging into his lower back was going to be painful later, but the way Marvin was pressed up against him was making him dizzy from more than just a lack of oxygen. He relaxed his thighs and let them fall from their place on Marvin's waist, falling slack on either side of the thick branch that supported them as he hoisted himself up into a sitting position.

"What are you doing?" Marvin mumbled softly against his lips as Yan kissed him sweetly, gently prying Marvin's hand from their sexes as he pushed his Senpai up against the trunk of the tree, trailing his mouth down...

"Oh, f- _fuck_ ," Marvin mewled, trying with all his might not to buck into Yan's mouth as the older ego's tongue swirled around the tip of his cock, taking it between his lips, and-  _shit_ , he was so good at this...

"So good at this, baby," Marvin moaned aloud, running his fingers through the yandere's fringe and brushing aside some droplets of water that still clung to the fronds of red. "So fucking good..."

Marvin hadn't thought he'd ever be in this position, really- pressed up against a tree in the rain, getting blown by his boyfriend as the droplets of water fell onto them from above, the blossoms around them swaying more violently as the wind picked up again.

The element of danger did nothing more than turn Marvin on at this point.

Yan hummed around his cock, trying his best to reach the bottom without physically hurting himself- Marvin would never forget the day that Yan had taken his entire length in one go, the pain clearly visible on his face as his eyes scrunched up, tears streaming down his cheeks. And the worst part of that was that Yan would have kept going if Marvin hadn't intervened. If he hadn't looked down to see those beautiful brown eyes glazed over in red, Yan would never have owned up to his own discomfort.

Thankfully, he seemed to have learned his lesson for now.

"Can I ride you?" Yan asked, pulling off with a pop but still gliding his hand across the length, spreading his saliva to the places his mouth couldn't quite reach.

Marvin nodded feebly, not trusting himself to speak. Above them, the storm raged on.

"Let me prep you first," Marvin muttered, pushing Yan gently down onto his back as he tugged those pretty pink panties the rest of the way down, exposing his boyfriend's pale ass. Yan whined softly.

" _No_ , I can take it..."

"You're sure?" Marvin asked, having learned long ago not to decide Yan's boundaries for him. He'd seen Yan sink down on him with absolutely no prep before- and for a while it had made him self-conscious, causing him to wonder if he really measured up as well as Yan said he did- but he'd soon learned that Yan enjoyed it so much that it didn't really matter to him how he compared to anyone else.

"Just hold still," Yan urged, crawling back over cautiously, not wanting to slip and fall this far into their little adventure. Marvin stroked himself lazily as Yan sat in his lap, grinding intentionally into his lover as Marvin tensed beneath him, hand moving to grip his waist with some kind of animalistic intensity.

"Tell me if it hurts," Marvin warned, feeling Yan nodding wordlessly against his shoulder as he felt the yandere sink down on him, making it halfway onto Marvin's cock before coming to a stuttering halt.

"Do you want to-"

"No," Yan interrupted, knowing exactly what Marvin was going to suggest. "No, I've got this- pull out a bit,"

Marvin shrunk further into the tree's trunk as Yan lifted himself again, sinking further on the next try. Marvin threw his head back with enough force to make him dizzy with pain, but he was already mad with pleasure- and before long Yan gave his arm a little squeeze.

It was a plea for him to move.

And so he did, slowly pushing his hips forward, letting Yan sink all the way onto his cock before he lay his lover down against the bough once more. Breathing in, then out...

"Please don't fall," Marvin muttered, feeling Yan reach over feebly to grasp his fingers in his larger hand.

"We won't," Yan promised. "Just-  _fuck_ , I need you to move, right now,"

Marvin shimmied backwards until he was only an inch or so inside, then rolled his hips forward, letting Yan's little moans of bliss overtake him. Faster, deeper still- he could feel his trousers catching on the grain of the bark, his shoes still gripping tightly to keep them from falling, fucking Yan into the damn tree like it was his only goal in life.

_"Shit, yes..."_

"You want to come for me, baby?" Marvin breathed, already sensing that Yan was close to the edge- it was something he'd picked up on over the course of their relationship. When Yan was nearing orgasm, he'd start to shake- and right now, his fingers were shaking against Marvin's cheek. The red haired man nodded, his lips parted in bliss as Marvin's fingers ran teasingly along his sex, feeling his release growing ever closer.

 _"Please,"_  Yan begged, feeling only a little unstable as Marvin quickened his thrusts, the branch beneath them swaying slightly in the wind.

" _Fuck_ \- come for me, Yan," Marvin hissed, feeling the stream of pre start to dribble onto his fist. "I want to see you come undone for me, baby..."

With a small cry, Yan released all over their shirts, the hot, white strands coming to rest just as Marvin finished with a grunt inside of his lover. They were still fully clothed for the most part, and it hadn't been anything close to what they normally did, but...  _damned_ if that wasn't hot.

"I feel like I loved that more than I should have," Marvin confessed, panting out his arousal softly as Yan rose to sit with him, wincing a little at the position of his ass on the branch. Marvin smiled at him fondly, beckoning him over and letting him sit in Marvin's lap, not even bothered by the cum stains that would eventually start forming there.

"We should get back to the manor," Marvin murmured between lazy kisses, the thunder seeming to come back into focus now that his mind was free of lust. "Before they really start to notice we're gone, I mean... then it'll be even harder to hide what we've been doing out here,"

Yan snickered softly against Marvin's lips, his panties still dangling from one of his ankles as he drew them up, tucking his messy privates inside as he shuffled awkwardly to get them beneath his skirt again..

"Ashamed of the fact that we fucked in a tree?" Yan teased softly.

Marvin couldn't help but smile in response. "I'm  _proud_  that we fucked in a tree,"


	5. Dark x Anti

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dark tries to find and reconcile with Anti, but it doesn't go to plan.
> 
> *Meant to parallel Apollo and Hyacinthus but the author sucks at referencing other stories in her works*

He was a fool. A  _fool_ , for even considering this. He sat alone on his undisturbed sheets, twirling that damned flower in his hands as if it would eventually give him the courage to stand. It was a purple hyacinth- a rather pretty little thing if Dark said so himself, but that was hardly even the short of it.

Dark knew exactly why Wilford had left this for him. Dark was quite versed with most mythologies, being part of the otherworldly spectrum himself- and he was very aware of the connotations that the simple purple petals held when presented to another.

It was an apology, more than anything. It was grief, anguish and regret- the symbol of a broken man who'd lost his lover to forces that could have been prevented, if he was only aware, and... and Dark knew that he fit the bill almost perfectly.

He'd spent so long trying to deny it- so long telling himself and the others that demons cannot learn to love, just so that he wouldn't have to face the truth. The truth that he'd lost the one person who'd made him truly happy, the one man who could bring a smile to his face in times of sadness, the one ego here that knew his way around Dark's heart... he'd lost Anti to madness, just like he'd lost Will. Just like he was losing himself...

He gritted his teeth, dropping his flower to the ground with shaking hands.

_'I miss him,'_

_ 'I know you do. Why don't you do something about it for once instead of moping around?' _

_'It's hardly so easy, Celine, he despises us...'_

Dark rubbed at his eyes, trying to brush away his tears as the storm raged on outside, battering at the walls and tossing the curtains every which way. He couldn't control it- the raw hate, the anger, the tension all building up inside of him... Wilford had visited him, Yan had come knocking- both of them wanting him to calm down, but... but he  _couldn't_.

He'd tried.

Couldn't they see that?

**'Are we still so hung up on that glitch?'**

_'I can't help the way I feel about him, no matter how I push it down, it just... keeps coming back up,'_

_ 'I understand, Damien, but we can't just sit here and wallow in our emotions- if it's getting to the point where we can't move without crying about it, we have to do something to fix it,' _

Dark scowled, tearing at his own hair in frustration. "What a brilliant idea," he seethed, "why didn't I think of that, hm? Why can't you all agree on something, just  _once_? I don't want to hate him- I don't even want to love him, I don't want to f-feel... anything at  _all_..."

He sobbed again. He was breaking, wasn't he? After all these years, through murders and magic, and nonsensical affairs, it was  _this_ \- this  _weakness_  for Anti that would be his undoing. His thoughts and desires were so mixed that he didn't trust himself to act anymore, not knowing whether he should kiss the man or tear out his heart, hardly feeling the difference between the intense hatred and the passion that the glitch sparked inside him.

It was killing him, wasn't it? Shattering his ability to function, to respond, to do  _anything_  but lock himself away and hope that his pain wouldn't affect anyone else. But it  _was_  affecting them- he could feel it. He could hear their thoughts, their accusations, their judgment, and it  _hurt_... They knew he still loved Anti. They thought he was a coward, not wanting to face his feelings, but... he truly didn't know what his real feelings  _were_.

He shouldn't even  _have_ feelings- oh, why had he slept with Wilford all those years ago? Why had he caused the souls that were interwoven in his very being to split apart and argue? Every day, every hour- whether it was Will, or Anti, or the state of his damn house, they always found  _something_ to bicker about.

Dark just wanted it all to end.

Thunder boomed outside, and Dark could feel the rain leaking through his ceiling, dripping onto his sheets and pooling by his wardrobe. He didn't want to move. He didn't even want to breathe.

_ 'This place is falling apart,' _

_'I'm sorry... I'm trying to move past it, I really am,'_

_ 'I know... that's what makes it so infuriating. You love him, Damien- you always have, but you never once tried to reach out to him. I was willing to give up my own happiness for yours, and... and Tenebreux doesn't give a damn what we do in this body. We could have had him,' _

_'It doesn't matter, Celine. He's gone, and he won't want us back- what use is there in dwelling on the past?'_

Dark shivered softly, though not because of the cool air that was washing in through his open window frames. His door was locked- and it had been locked since December, and he was ashamed to admit that he'd spent most of these long, long weeks just sitting here and crying it out, trying to gather the strength to stand.

It wasn't as if Anti was the only thing on his mind- he was crying for other reasons as well. It had been his mother's birthday a week prior- oh, his mother... she'd cried for decades when both of her children disappeared overnight, never to be found again. Dark had seen her, watching from outside with a numb, emotionless exterior, and it  _hurt_ \- because even though he found himself drawn to the woman, he hadn't understood why until that fateful night with Will. He hadn't even remembered who he really was, until he'd started to argue with his very own being.

Day and night without fail. After taking care of Mark, they had no other goal. They were  _stuck_  in the body of Damien's former friend, too intimidated by the prospect of returning to the manor to find her, until Dark had the ludicrous idea that finding Will and moving back in with him would somehow appease his inner torment.

How laughable.

No... the first few years were tolerable, but soon Dark had lost all of his will to go on. He'd hated himself for every decision, every thought- his components were far too different to get along, but they were trapped here like this, and there was no escape.

 _But then_... Dark sighed.  _Then, Anti came along..._

He was a fresh face- new, and exciting, and full of energy, and Dark couldn't help but be attracted to him. After thirty-odd years spent with nobody but Wilford and a handful of incubi, here was someone that Dark truly felt he could grow attached to. A friend, a confidant- and if Damien had had his way, a lover.

But he'd been too afraid to act on his feelings, even when they were as simple as just wanting affection. First, Anti had been too young for him- then, Dark had been too busy making peace with the neighbouring demons, and before long the rest of the egos had come along to clutter the house and make it impossible for him to even rest.

Pushing Anti aside as if he wasn't valued, making him feel so miserable that he'd turned to suicide and self mutilation- and Dark had been oblivious. Nothing had hurt more than finding Anti alone in his house, muttering to himself and glitching all over the room, blood covering his walls... But at the same time, Dark knew he couldn't have stopped it.

He could only have made it worse.

Because Anti loved him as well.

It was clear- so  _painfully_  clear that Anti had wanted him too. That was part of the reason why it had hurt so much the first time they fought, and then the next, and the next... because Dark was a demon, and he could hear thoughts- and he knew that every petty little insult that had ever left Anti's lips was a lie. He'd been able to hear what the glitch was really thinking, what he really felt, and... and though it was mostly a mantra of  _'I can't be weak anymore'_ , Dark couldn't help but hear the words that were directed at him.

_Lord, he's hot..._

_I ruined everything, didn't I?_

_I wish he cared as much as he said he did..._

_I don't want to fight him..._

Anti was reluctant. But he hadn't always been this way, no- Dark remembered a time where Anti stopped at nothing until Dark responded to him. He'd used to flick Dark's fringe into his face, tap along Dark's shoulders, squeeze at his hand until Dark ceased talking to whomever was distracting him and focused on Anti instead, and...

Dark sighed aloud. He missed those days, more than he felt he could ever admit aloud.

_ 'We need to find him,' _

_'Are you insane?'_

_ 'This stupid argument has gone on long enough, Damien! It's been over a year without him and you're making all of us miserable- we either need to get him to want us back or to distance ourselves completely, you can't hold onto these emotions forever,' _

_'A confrontation like this can only end in tears, Celine- must you torment me so?'_

_ 'He loves us too, Damien-' _

_'But he hasn't forgiven us, and I know that you know the difference between love and forgiveness very well...'_

Dark felt tears brewing in his eyes again as Celine fell silent. He let out a shuddering breath.

 _Mark_.

It was true, what Damien was saying- it didn't matter how much love was in your heart if your partner hasn't forgiven you for your crimes against them- and Celine knew this better than most. She still hadn't forgiven Mark for what he'd done to them, even though he believed he was doing it out of love- because how could she? He'd been so brash and unpredictable, so out of his mind on those stupid drugs that Celine never knew which side of him she was talking to at any time. He'd said some awful things to her, had done even worse when she'd left him- even going so far as to frame his cousin for his own murder...

Dark sniffed, wiping his eyes.

_ 'I understand... I'm sorry,' _

_'I forgive you, but... we can't go out and find him and just expect him to want to come back. We've been horrible to him-_ they _'ve been horrible to him...'_

_ 'But we can apologise,' _

Dark bit his lip as he stared at the flower on the ground. It glimmered slightly, droplets small as grains of sugar resting on its petals as Dark looked around his room properly for the first time in weeks.

The windows were no more- his glass was missing, the iron framework bent beyond recognition. The roof was leaking in several areas, heavy droplets soaking into the ruined carpet and pooling on the sheets of his bed. Where there used to be a glass door to the balcony, a square-shaped hole now marred the wall, letting in the stream of water from outside.

It was a mess.

 _He_  was a mess.

Dark stood shakily, his legs not used to the motion quite yet, and bent to pick up the flower. He breathed slowly out.

Anti might not want him back now, maybe not ever. But it would soothe Dark's mind to know that he'd tried to reconcile, at least once.

He walked outside, his shoes splashing in the muddied river that had appeared on the balcony. It was now or never.

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

"Oh, you have  _him_ around?"

Anti gritted his teeth, clenching his fists as the demon walked into the room. It was as if that arrogant prick was looking for an argument, and Anti was the closest target- yes, he'd gotten quite a reputation for starting fights in the past few years that he didn't really understand, but it usually made people steer clear of him.

Well, unfortunately it was mostly the people he actually wanted to be with that avoided the confrontation. But Anti was used to that by now. Heck, until Blaze came along, Anti had been so alone that he'd contemplated befriending the voices in his head- but they still existed only to torment him, to remind him of his loneliness and that it was all his own fault.

"Yeah," Blaze replied, folding his arms and standing from his seat. "We've talked about this, Daniel- he's my friend,"

"I don't think you understand how dangerous he is," Daniel seethed, also folding his arms. "How many times do I have to tell you, Blaze? He's killed people he loved more than you before without even batting an eye."

Anti resisted the urge to roll his eyes. That? That was nothing but a rumour probably spread by his so-called  _family_  after he'd accidentally killed Jack by slitting his own throat. He hadn't even killed that many people- aside from himself, and his three brothers, and getting into a few tousles with Dark...

Anti bit his lip.  _No_...

But he was already thinking about him.

What would Dark be doing today? Did he have a lover- had he pursued one of Anti's brothers? Or maybe it was Wilford- Anti was hardly blind. The pink-haired man had been making advances Dark's way for as long as they'd known each other.

All Anti knew was that Dark wasn't spending it with him, and that still made him ache a little inside. He'd only spent two Valentine's Days with Dark- and even then, it wasn't romantically. They'd stayed indoors, eating heart-shaped chocolates and telling dumb jokes, and drinking too much wine... God, he missed it.

He missed Dark. And Wilford, to an extent- and of course, he missed Septiplier. But if what the fans were saying about him was true, and Septiplier really  _was_ dead... Anti just wished he could have said goodbye.

_They drove me away before I could even say a word..._

Anti hadn't meant to kill them- he didn't know what had come over him that night. When he'd finally snapped, leaving his home and paying a visit to his eldest brothers that had resulted in a terrible, bloody mess being spread across the carpets. Anti had cried afterwards- he'd hurt himself over and over, until Dark had arrived and forced the knife away from him.

He'd looked up into the eyes of the man he loved, expecting to see the soft blue that often shone through them- but they were hard, and red, and slanted. He'd caught the knife in his chest, glitching uncontrollably as he'd faded out, the last thing he remembered from that night being Dark's tear stained face.

_Like he'd ever cry over me..._

No, it was more likely that he was crying for one of Anti's little brothers. Was it Jackieboy, after all these years? Anti had always felt threatened by that damn superhero- maybe he and Dark really  _had_  gotten together. Anti wouldn't know- he hadn't exactly asked them the last time he was over there...

"Can't you read minds, you cloudy mess?" Anti jeered in return. "I'm not here for trouble- surely you can tell that just by looking at me,"

"I never could read your mind," Daniel spat at him. "You glitch too much to keep track of your thoughts- you could be plotting to kill us right now and I'd be powerless to stop you beforehand,"

Anti rolled his eyes once more. This was hardly the first time he'd been kicked out of Blaze's house- and it probably wouldn't be the last. Blaze offered him an apologetic look, but Anti knew that he wasn't the problem here.

"I'll go," Anti said, rising to his feet. "I'll leave you two to sort out your damn tension- it is the holiday of  _love_ , after all,"

Blaze seemed to turn bright blue momentarily, and Daniel gave an audible sigh. Anti still wasn't sure how neither was picking up that they liked each other just yet- he'd noticed it as soon as Blaze and Daniel had met, after all. 

"Anti, you don't have to-"

"It's fine, Blaze," Anti lied through a smile. "I needed to go anyway- I have some... business..."

"Business... I hope you know that Dark's keeping the manor protected from the likes of you," Daniel huffed.

"I'd like to see him try to keep me out," Anti smirked, though really- he had no intention of going to the manor at all. No, he'd rather live alone with his thoughts than see what their lives had become without him. Had they moved on easily, not even giving him a passing thought? Did they still cower in fear when they heard his name?

If he was to walk by the manor's open windows, would he see the man he loved all tied up with another?

Anti decided that he'd rather never find out about what Dark was getting up to in his absence.

"I'll see you around," Anti called to the fire ego that was looking rather guilty, sending Daniel a glare as he made his way outside. Prick. He never had gotten too close to that associate of Dark's...

"See you, Anti..." Blaze sighed glumly.

Neither could know that the next time they'd see each other, one of them would be out for blood.

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

"Anti," Dark muttered, almost afraid to call out. Anti was standing there as if he were lost- that mop of bright green still sitting atop his forehead, the slit on his neck still bleeding profusely... every time Dark saw him now, it took him a little by surprise. He missed the old Anti...

He'd walked for a long while- he'd checked Anti's home, but he wasn't there. He'd searched outside the manor, forcing himself to fix the fallen pieces of rubble that littered the courtyard as he moved along, but Anti was nowhere to be seen.

He'd taken his usual stroll, then- walking through the winding cottages that belonged to some old acquaintances of his, checking the edges of his territory in case one of the more troublesome egos had attempted to enter. He was ready to call it all off, to go back and sulk further in his room, when he finally caught the man he was looking for.

The glitch turned at the noise, a sour expression on his face as he frowned at Dark, tensing up as the demon drew nearer.

"I'm not in the mood for a fight right now," Anti hissed through his clenched teeth, something similar to tears welling in his eyes. "Fuck off,"

"What happened?" Dark asked in concern, just wanting to reach out and wipe those tears away- but Anti wouldn't like that. Not while they were still technically fighting, still less than even acquaintances. The glitch drew even further away, glaring at him in mild disbelief, pain etched across his features.

"The fuck do you care?" Anti sniffed, wiping his eyes furiously. "Just- just leave me alone, go spend your day with your V-Valentine like all the rest of my fucking friends..."

Dark sighed, fidgeting with his fingers as he grunted through gritted teeth. "I don't... have a Valentine, Anti,"

"Then who's the flower for?" Anti deadpanned. Dark quickly hid the thing behind him, not having realised that Anti would take offense to seeing it- but that motion only seemed to make the situation worse.

"Yeah, I see it," Anti muttered, stepping back again. "The fuck do you  _want_? I'm not anywhere near your precious house with your precious egos, I'm minding my own business. If you came to fight, just... just tell me,"

"I never seek out conflict," Dark retorted. "I never have- do you not remember, Anti? I was always a believer in keeping the peace,"

"You cut off my arm with my own knife and left me to bleed out," Anti spat, not even bothering to wipe his tears anymore. "That shit  _hurt_ , Dark. At least I make it  _quick_ when I kill,"

Dark groaned aloud. "Anti- you were the one that started that, remember?"

"And you were the one that finished it," Anti glared. "I don't know if I should trust anything that leaves your mouth, you overdramatic piece of  _shit_ \- I know how you work,"

"I don't believe that you do," Dark countered, stepping ever closer. Anti flinched away, looking up at Dark accusingly with those shining green eyes...

"What, you want to touch me, Dark?" He uttered with a half-hearted laugh. "How  _cute_. Once, there was a time where I'd have loved it, but now... ha, now I can see what you  _really_ want. Trying to make me let my guard down, Darky?"

Dark tensed, shaking his head. "Anti, please... that name was reserved for my closest friend to use. Not this  _thing_  that you've become,"

"Oh, I'm a  _thing_  now, am I?" Anti taunted. "Was I ever worth more than an object to you, Darky? Your own little  _pet_  that followed you around, obsessed with your presence?"

"Of course you were more than that," Dark growled. "You're testing my patience, Anti- I came here to talk to you in a civil manner- I have no weapons. I am not here to hurt you-  _why_  won't you listen for one moment?"

"Oh, I've  _been_  listening," Anti scowled. "Civil manner? What, are you here to apologise for leaving me alone all those months ago? A little late for that, Da-"

 **"Will you be quiet?!"**  Dark snapped.  **"I am trying to atone for my crimes against you, you ill-mannered, disrespectful ass!"**

Anti cocked an eyebrow. "Spend a lot of time thinking about my ass, Darky?"

Dark groaned aloud. "I don't think you understand how much  _patience_ it takes to hold a conversation with you- you've  _changed_ , Anti. You used to be so kind and courteous- and well-mannered, and caring. What happened to all of your redeeming qualities, hm?"

"I see," Anti hissed, eyes flashing dangerously. "You're mad that I'm not your bitch anymore. That I'm not there to just  _agree_  with everything you say- to let you do what you want to me, is that it? Now that I've finally stood up for myself, I'm the  _bad guy_. Ha... leave me alone, you demon shit..."

"Anti-!"

Anti drew his knife, holding it in front of him as a warning. "I don't  _want_  to talk to someone who only wants to make me  _weaker_ ,"

Dark drew a shuddering breath. He... He'd handled this poorly, he could tell. "Anti... Dear... I'm sorry. I lost my temper and it wasn't right- but I truly don't want to make you feel worse than you already do. I truly am here to apologise- please... I miss what we used to have. I miss it so much that on some days, I... I can barely move. I hurt you, and I know it, and I don't expect you to forgive me straight away, but... but I want you to know that I'm sorry, so  _sorry_... I should have paid you more attention..."

Anti sniffed, his grip on his knife faltering for a moment. He took a breath in, then out, the palpitations of his heart only serving to exhaust him further. Because this  _was_ exhausting- this fighting, this argument, these long hours spent berating himself for the things he couldn't help... Perhaps it was time to let this all go. Perhaps he should take this chance to bury the hatchet, before he fucked it up again...

_D͝on't ͞l͟e̶t̴ h̸im ͢a͠p͝o̕lo҉gi̛s҉e now._

_He's trying to use your f͡ee̵ling̵s a͘gai̶nst҉ ̵yo͡u._

_Can't you see that?_

_Are you really so w̢eak̵?_

_So infatuated with him that you'd forgive him just̷ like ͞th͡a̴t̕?_

_̧̕P̸a̧t͏̧h͢͟e̴t͞i͜҉̴c̴͝.̸  
_

Anti gritted his teeth, holding his knife more firmly as he closed his eyes in pain. "Yes, Dark. You should have."

"Anti-"

"Don't fucking touch me!" Anti shouted in defiance, slashing across Dark's outstretched palm in a fit of rage. Couldn't he see that Anti was hurting? Couldn't he see that all he was bringing was pain?

The demon's eyes darkened from soft blue to deep black as he snarled, his hand healing over within moments. "You shouldn't have done that, glitch,"

Anti glared into the pits of tar that he'd once found so intimidating, very conscious of the tears that were streaming from his eyes as he slashed again. Dark caught him by his wrist, crushing Anti's bones in his fist as the knife was forced from Anti's fingers. It made no sound as it fell, but Anti wouldn't have heard it either way- his ears were ringing, his heart pounding, his body falling through the nothingness until he hit solid ground.

Dark was pinning him down, half lying on top of the glitch, and Anti felt a sharp pain in his back. In his spine, but... but then he couldn't feel any more.

"F-Fuck you," Anti spat, coughing up small measures of blood. "You f-fucking paralysed me, you asshole..."

"I... I'm sorry," Dark whispered, rubbing at his blue eyes disbelievingly, as if he was an entirely different person to the man that had hurt him moments earlier. "I... I shouldn't have lost control like that, Anti, I... you're right to hate me,"

"I don't..." Anti started, coughing again as Dark lifted his limp body into his lap. They were closer than they'd been in months, years even- and Anti couldn't feel anything past his shoulders. His wrist was bent at an odd angle and his fingers were pale, like his very blood vessels had been destroyed by Dark's grip. He knew that he'd heal from all of this eventually- even the snap in his spinal cord, but... but he wasn't sure it was worth the pain and effort.

"Kill me," Anti pleaded softly, watching Dark's face fall as the request sunk in.

"I- but Anti, I don't want to hurt you, I... I want to reconcile with you-"

"I thought you were s-supposed to be smart," Anti teased half-heartedly, his neck balanced awkwardly on Dark's knee. "I c-can't fucking stand this... Why don't you let me die quickly, why... why is it always so drawn out with you...?"

Dark was crying now- or was it rain? Anti could see lightning flashing overhead, feel droplets of something warm and fluid beading up and running down his cheeks as Dark's eyes crunched up in pain. Anti couldn't tell if it was him or the weather- but not having hands to wipe it away was an added torture he'd rather be rid of.

"What do I have to say to get you to do it?" Anti muttered, disgruntled. "You're... you're  _weak_. You wear too much black, you... you look like a discount Andy Biersack. That doesn't hurt enough,  _edgelord_?"

"I can hear your thoughts, Anti," Dark mumbled softly, sniffling a little as the rain thickened, spattering on their clothes and flying messily into Anti's eyes. "I know... I know that you're lying when you call me these names. Trying to provoke me into ending your life, but... but I mean it. I want to show you that I'm sorry, and... murder isn't the right way to start,"

Sometimes, even Anti forgot that Dark could read his mind. It wasn't something he'd let himself get used to, and Dark didn't usually bring it up to him at all- he never really did unless he was calling the younger ego out on a lie he was telling.

"I don't give a fuck if you're sorry," Anti muttered, closing his eyes as the rain grew to be too much. " _I'm_ not sorry... I wanted to die two years ago, Darky, and that hasn't changed. And despite all your talk of being the better person, wanting to help me... you don't want to help  _me_. You only want to help yourself,"

Dark's fingers clenched around Anti's unmoving body as he sobbed, the rain starting to feel like tiny daggers against their skin as lightning struck the ground right next to Anti's leg.

Anti could curl his fingers now- the paralysis was slowly wearing off, one moment of agony after the next. He tugged feebly at Dark's tie, meeting his soft purple eyes with grim determination.

"Give me... my knife, Dark," Anti demanded.

"I..." Dark started, his hand visibly shaking as he brought Anti's knife from where it had fallen beneath him. "Anti-"

"No." Anti refused. "I've had enough of your fucking sob story shit-"

Dark held the knife more insistently, their fingers brushing together as Anti tried to battle for the means to end his life. Dark didn't want to let it happen- if he did, Anti would go back to his own house alone and his chance would be over... he just wanted the glitch to know that he was truly, genuinely sorry. But Anti didn't want to forgive him.

Dark breathed shakily out. "Anti... there was never anybody after you. Nobody can match the gap you filled for me, and... and I want you to know that,"

"Let  _go_ ," Anti commanded, tugging a little stronger, his cheeks ridden with tear tracks. Dark closed his eyes, not wanting to see Anti hurt himself again.

And he let his fingers relax..

As Anti's body faded from his arms, Dark could see the purple hyacinth still sitting there, gleaming up at him, wet as if it was sharing his sorrows. He fought back a sob. Lightning struck the ground as he stood, smoothing out his wet clothes and wiping the blood from his shaking hands. That flower... the thing that was meant to make it all better, the plant that meant the end of one's suffering, but the start of another's... Dark loathed to even think of it now.

He crushed it underfoot.


End file.
